A colourful new mural in Sliema is paying tribute to the late Ġorġ Mallia, celebrating the Maltese artist, cartoonist, author and academic through the kind of creativity he championed throughout his life.
The large portrait was created by a local spray-paint artist who said Mallia had supported his mural work over the years, even though the two had never met in person.
Sharing the finished tribute, the artist remembered Mallia as a great artist and lecturer, as well as a positive person who had encouraged his work through social media.
Remembering a familiar face in Maltese culture
Mallia died on 19 August at the age of 68. His career crossed several creative fields, including cartoons, illustration, children’s literature, communications and education.
He served as head of the Department of Media and Communications at the University of Malta, where he taught and mentored generations of students. He was also known for his children’s books and illustrations, including the Pullu series, and for his work as a cartoonist.
Following his death, tributes highlighted the impact Mallia had made not only through his published work, but also through decades spent encouraging students and other creatives.
A tribute through art
The Sliema mural offers another way of remembering that legacy. Mallia is depicted with his distinctive glasses and smile, turning a public wall into a tribute to a figure closely associated with Malta’s creative and communications scene.
For the artist behind the mural, it is also a personal thank you to someone whose encouragement reached him from afar.
