Debbie Caruana Dingli

Debbie Caruana Dingli was born on 3 March 1962 to Mario and Bertha née Curmi. Born into an artistic family, she represents the fourth generation of artists in her family,[2] with her grandfather Robert Caruana Dingli and great-uncle Edward Caruana Dingli being amongst the most notable 20th Century Maltese artists.[3] She started formal art tuition at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in St Julians under Margaret Chircop.[1] She later graduated from the Malta government school of art where she was under the tutelage of Harry Alden. She was later awarded a diploma in Cartooning by the International Correspondence School in the UK.[3] She hails from Sliema but resides in Siggiewi.[4] In May 2016 she was involved in a major car accident in which she sustained several serious injuries, leaving her unable to paint using her right hand.[5]

Debbie Caruana Dingli's first solo exhibition was in 1985 and was held at the invitation of the Museum of Fine Arts in Malta.[1] She was the first female artist to have a Bank of Valletta retrospective dedicated to her.[1][3] The exhibition showcased a cross-section of her works spanning three decades.[6] A watercolour work of hers was presented to Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh during a State visit to Malta in November 2005 and now forms part of the Royal Collection Trust.[7] She has held seven solo exhibitions, with themes spanning from the environment, animals and their welfare, to portraits.[4] She is considered one of Malta's leading watercolour portraitists.[5]