Joseph Farrugia: 'Life is shorter than you think'

Maltese visual artist Joseph Farrugia has been passionate about drawing and painting throughout his life, holding numerous personal exhibitions over the years. While his art has always been central to him, Joseph is also academically trained as an economist, with a focus on industrial relations and social dialogue. This blend of interests reflects his curiosity about the world around him, from the structures that shape society to the deeper workings of human nature.

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Read the latest news.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

With great power comes great responsibility! This is the central theme of Spiderman lore, which I grew up with.

What do you never leave the house without?

Clothes, I guess.

Pick three words that describe yourself

Humorous, creative, analytical.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Making the most of limited time.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

I read Marvel comics every day before I sleep. I don’t feel guilty about it!

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?

Don’t take it too seriously.

Property and cars aside what’s the most expensive thing you’ve ever bought?

My sound system – c. €1,200

What is one thing you wish you knew when you were younger?

Life is shorter than you think.

Who’s your inspiration?

It is a curious amalgam of Jesus, Jimi Hendrix, Stan Lee, Albert Einstein, and my mother.

What has been your biggest challenge?

Staying grounded. I am a dreamer by nature.

If you weren’t semi-retired, what would you be doing?

Pretty much what I am doing now – spending more time in my art studio.

Do you believe in God?

I may be classified as a Christian agnostic.

If you could have dinner with any person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Today it would be my late father.

What’s your worst habit?

A tendency towards procrastination.

What are you like when you’re drunk?

Funny and sharp-witted.

Who would you have play you in a film?

Chris Hemsworth.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Disproportionate self-importance.

What music would you have played at your funeral?

Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter, which must be followed by Barry/Armstrong’s We have all the Time in the World.

What is your most treasured material possession?

An empty can of sardines. I have proudly owned it for more than thirty years and it is on display in my studio. We rust together.

What is your earliest memory?

A wind-up tin horse, and a tiny ten-piece jigsaw puzzle of the tower of Pisa. These were among my first toys. I vaguely recall winding the tin horse when I was sick in bed.   

When did you last cry, and why?

About a year ago upon learning that a close relative was seriously ill.

Who would you most like to meet?

Currently: Vladimir Putin – to tell him to go f$£% himself to his face.

What’s your favourite food?

Difficult question for a foodie. Maybe paella.

Who’s your favourite person on social media right now?

Don’t really follow social media. I follow Dr Robert Kuhn’s Closer to Truth spots on YouTube, if that counts. Closer to Truth includes interviews with prominent philosophers, scientists and theologians, and raises questions about the nature of existence and consciousness.

If you could travel in time, where would you go?

The future.

What book are you reading right now?

Einstein in Time and Space – A Life in 99 Particles, by Samuel Graydon

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Intangibility. It must be great to become immaterial at will and pass through solid objects. Sticking to walls also intrigues me for some reason.

What’s one thing you want to do before you die?

Whatever comes my way. But I would look forward to spending some extended time in Paris.

What music are you listening to at the moment?

Quite a bit of Radiohead and prog rock.

In the shower or when you’re working out, what do you sing/listen to?

Currently: mostly Bob Dylan and King Crimson.