Shaped by Fire

Photography by Alan Carville

Kevin Attard does not look much like a traditional silver filigree maker when I first meet him at his studio on the top floor of a city townhouse. Yet, for the past 20 years, he has been creating intricate silver shapes which, despite their complex detail, are moving in their vitality. And, recently, the filigree artist has turned the traditional methods of filigree-making to contemporary use, with the aim of breathing new life into a fading art.

The result has brought him some success, he says and, although the young craftsman still follows traditional patterns, he has also moved into creating more unusual items – such as chess pieces – and even a miniature silver toilet for a collector.

“Almost anything can be crafted in filigree,” he smiles. “It simply takes patience and some trial-and-error, as the process is always the same.”

The technique of filigree-making was probably adopted from the Spanish-style technique that was popular at the beginning of the Baroque period, he explains. Simultaneously fragile and strong, the silver wires are fused together with fire, using a blow torch or Bunsen burner. “This is the part I like best,” smiles Kevin, “because that is when everything finally comes together.”

Gold and copper can also be used, but Kevin prefers to work in silver, the shiny pieces with their ancient material coming to life under his hands. The beauty of filigree lies in its delicacy, he says, as he skilfully winds the wires into the various shapes.

Over the years, however, the old and beautiful craft had come to be associated with brooches and Maltese crosses, losing some of its versatility and appeal with the young. “Maltese crosses are still the most common items,” says Kevin, “I must have made a million of them,” he smiles.

“But I have also spent a lot of time developing jewellery designs that are also popular with young people,” he says. “The effect remains dainty but, by using modern designs and thinking outside the box with regards to contemporary styles and shapes, it seems that young women are choosing to wear filigree again.”

Standard designs – used in different sizes and in different ways allow for infinite options, he says excitedly. Despite its beauty, however, this old craft is in danger of fading away, he says. “I make all my pieces by hand, but filigree can be manufactured cheaply in countries like China, which has put a strain on the local industry,” he says. The number of craftsmen has in fact been dwindling and today only very few are left, he says.

Yet Kevin is not disheartened. “I subsidise the work that I do with other artistic work such as acting and painting and I hold regular classes, encouraging people to take an interest in filigree making,” he says. And his work can be found in many shops around Malta and Gozo, while he consistently has bulk order items that he needs to work on.

“My work gives me a lot of satisfaction,” says Kevin, “and I love it when a woman wears one of my pieces and is obviously pleased with the way it looks.” A ray of light shines in through the window, lighting up the silver pieces on his workshop, imbuing them with a glint of life. “I am happy that people’s perception of filigree seems to be changing,” he says, “I hope that, as an art form, it can continue to become more and more popular in the years to come.”