Taking ganutell outside its traditional parameters, Janine Cardona produces jewellery and accessories that appeal to modern day women. The pieces are assembled using various shapes in the ganutell traditional technique to produce floral themes or abstract designs. All designs are produced keeping in mind a spectrum of choice: statement jewellery for occasions, and simpler pieces for a more casual look. Three pieces from the collection competed in the Premju Ġieħ l-Artiġjanat Malti organised by the Malta Crafts Foundation, where Ganutell: A twist to tradition was awarded first prize in the 2023 edition.

Janine Cardona holds a B.Ed (Hons) in French and Maltese. She also studied Art and Design at Advanced level. Her interest in crafts began in her late primary school years, working parchment and ‘ganutell’. Eventually she started making jewellery, first as a hobby, then expanding on a larger scale, thus founding Janine Jewellery in 2020. She started thinking of incorporating ‘ganutell’ in her jewellery work, exposing it and its potential as a piece of personal adornment to locals and foreigners. She set up her line ‘Ganutell Ġojjell’ in 2021, naming it after her first submission for Premju Ġieħ l-Artiġjanat Malti.

Lucentini are a collection of handmade ceramic tiles inspired by fragments from history, heritage, traditions, and the sometimes-mysterious Maltese culture. The craftmanship, imagination, and artistic proposal is different for each of the tiles, creating a cornucopia of views and ideas through art and design. The creative process is seen as a journey from one tile to another, leading on to excitement about what may come next in this artistic voyage.

Charles and Dorothy Cordina are husband and wife and are the faces behind Lucentini. Charles takes care of the creation, the art and design of the Lucentini, while Dorothy handles the operation of the business. They both come from a business background, so they thrive to see that their Lucentini succeed. Coming from their cultural upbringing, the love for their heritage background, and business intuition, they take inspiration from what they see around them and what makes them Maltese in order to create the Lucentini.

With 24 different compartments filled with Tettiera® teas, gourmet treats and delicacies, and calligraphy stationery to be opened in the run-up towards Christmas, the Tettiera® Maltese Townhouse – Limited Edition Luxury Advent Calendar’s design is inspired by the façades of traditional Maltese townhouses, with their soft limestone colours, majestic Maltese door, and elaborate wrought iron balconies. Once Christmas is over, the charming townhouse can be re-used for storing keepsakes or other treasures, while its patterned tiles on the roof can double up as a chess board for more family fun and to continue creating warm memories.

Tettiera® is an artisan luxury tea brand, created by Joanna Micallef Farrugia and Diana Mifsud in 2016, out of passion for tea and a flair for design. They seek to transform a simple cup of whole leaf tea into a sensory, delightful, and indulgent experience. Tea, a social beverage, offers a refreshing sense of calm and has the unique ability to bring people together. This philosophy is at the core of Tettiera®’s offerings, which include a wide range of artisan teas, herbal infusions, and botanicals that cater to tea lovers at home, concept gifting, restaurants, boutique hotels, and cafeterias.

Monoliths bridges the past and future through the intricate art of filigree. These pieces draw inspiration from diverse realms, from the ancient traditions of Samurai in Japan to the mystical depths of the sea and enchanted doorways. Each artwork serves as a portal, connecting history to the present, weaving together a lineage of filigree craftsmanship that transcends time and culture.

A filigree artist who crafts intricate pieces, Mark Borg’s artistic journey began at the age of thirteen, when he studied the craft at the School of Art in Valletta. Over the years, he perfected his technique and expanded his repertoire to include not only traditional jewellery, but also innovative sculptures and automata. Mark’s work is characterized by a desire to push the boundaries of traditional filigree and explore new, uncharted territories. His creations are often inspired by the natural world, the passage of time, and diverse cultural influences, resulting in unique works that resonate with both history and modernity.

Elysium is a unique, stand-alone bar created through the collaboration between I+A and Mediterranean Ceramics for designMT. Featuring a circular form and semi-circular doors, it’s mounted on a self-supporting metal base and clad in hand-painted lava slabs, merging digital and traditional artistry. This fusion reflects Malta’s rich Mediterranean heritage while embracing modernity. The circular steel frame and lava-slab shelves provide both aesthetic appeal and functional storage. Elysium challenges traditional uses of lava, blending craft and digital processes to create a luxurious statement piece that celebrates indulgence, beauty, and the Mediterranean lifestyle.

Mediterranean Ceramics is a family-run business located at the Ta’ Qali Artisan Village. Renowned for handmade ceramics, bespoke lava stone tables, surfaces, and customized steelworks, the company combines decades of experience with a passion for innovation, gaining demand in global markets including North America and Dubai.  

Founded in 2018, I+A is a collective of architects, artists, and technologists led by Perit William Bondin, Dimitri Calleja, Christian Camilleri, Perit Francois Mangion, and Perit Joeaby Vassallo. Focused on architecture and interior design, I+A blends digital fabrication, hi-tech design, and local craftsmanship to create innovative spaces that engage communities and encourage creative interaction.

Marì is a groundbreaking reinterpretation of the għonnella, using recycled iron cuttings from square and rectangular tubes. Shaped with a hammer, welded around a mannequin, and refined with a grinder and file, the process emphasizes sustainable handicraft practices. A shiny plate was added for visual appeal, while a stepped base adds dynamism. At designMT, it stands next to a table handcrafted from bent pipes mimicking a butterfly shape. The table was likewise welded with advanced laser technology, and then finished with powder coating for durability and a sleek look. Its top is made from an innovative, strong blend of minerals.

Christian Bezzina, the founder and driving force behind Medina Steels, brings over two decades of expertise in steel fabrication to the forefront of bespoke home decor and commercial structure design. With a solid foundation in mechanical and electrical engineering, Christian’s transition from a passionate hobbyist to a professional craftsman has been fuelled by an unwavering dedication to innovation, craftsmanship, and creativity.

The versatility and aesthetic potential of Maltese limestone comes to life through a curated selection of five sculptures crafted by Charles Zammit, which comprises some of his award-winning works. These pieces highlight his innovative approach to the material, employing a range of treatments from polishing to diverse patinas and spray finishes. The exhibited works, each distinguished by their unique treatment, have garnered various recognitions, including at the prestigious Premju Ġieħ l-Artiġjanat Malti organised by the Malta Crafts Foundation. 

Charles Zammit, a graduate of Fine Arts from the University of Malta in 2018, pursued further studies with a Master’s in Educational Art. With over two decades of experience as a distinguished photographer, Charles garnered numerous accolades locally and internationally. He transitioned into diverse artistic mediums of painting and sculpture, where – despite his relatively brief tenure – he has already garnered significant recognition, securing local and international awards. Proficient in a spectrum of materials, including clay, marble, limestone, iron, and wood, Charles’s sculptural oeuvre exhibits a penchant for abstraction, contrasting with his figurative painting approach.

Introducing five exquisite collections of handmade polymer clay jewellery, where each piece is meticulously crafted, capturing the intricate beauty of floral designs petal by petal. The Luna collection represents the Greek goddess of the moon, illuminating the night sky with her celestial light; Speranza is inspired by the delicate elegance of a local wild flower, the Large Star of Bethlehem; Qamħa features a simple golden wheat motif against a blue background; Fomm ir-Riħ showcases marbled pieces mirroring the serene colours of the bay after which it is named; while Peprina celebrates the brand’s signature purple poppy, embodying its vibrant beauty.

As a mechanical engineer, Marisa Micallef found herself with an unfulfilled artistic thirst and a need to express her feminine traits. This led to the creation of Peprin®, a jewellery brand that reconnects her with her inner child who loved crafts. Living on the small Mediterranean island of Malta inspired the brand’s name, as ‘peprin’ is the Maltese word for poppies. Poppies bloom even in the most inhospitable places, reminding Marisa to never stop blossoming in tough environments. Through Peprin®, she channels her creativity and resilience into beautiful jewellery, believing the world needs more people who embrace their unique talents.

A collection of artisanal chocolate bars made with and inspired by authentic Maltese ingredients, celebrating the islands’ rich, age-old culinary traditions. The chocolate bars are produced and wrapped by hand. With a design that further enhances the local element, the packaging displays typical, traditional local iconography and the hand-drawn typography known as tberfil. 

Chocolate District is an independent boutique founded by brothers Mark and Dennis Aquilina, specialising in crafting artisan chocolate made with exclusively-sourced cacaos and local, noble ingredients to create innovative, bold, and sometimes unconventional creations. 

The Stephanie Borg® Mediterranea Collection is an elegant yet contemporary celebration of Maltese heritage created by artist Stephanie Borg, who was the first to introduce the patterns of traditional Maltese tiles into her work. The collection spans textiles, paper products, artworks, and others, and was recently enhanced with the introduction of luxury fine bone china ceramics. The collection preserves and modernizes local traditions, inviting its user to experience the essence of Maltese culture through its unique and artful interpretations. Each piece reflects the intricate patterns and rich colours of Malta’s iconic tiles, bringing local charm and luxury in everyday life.

Since returning to Malta in 2008, artist and designer Stephanie Borg has focused on raising awareness for local heritage and culture. Through her contemporary approach, the artist creates vibrant ink drawings, and developed a range of products, including wall art, homeware, decor, deskware, and fashion items. Stephanie has been a trendsetter by introducing traditional Maltese elements in her work like old cement tiles, wooden doors, and wrought ironwork. The Stephanie Borg® brand invites people to appreciate and preserve local crafts and heritage for generations to come. Stephanie has participated in collectives locally and abroad, exporting Malta’s colours far and wide.

Motivated by their ambition to create a completely new artisan product, Antoine and Jean-Paul Vella managed to produce a woven product made from silver. Inspired by traditional weaving techniques, in their new product the silver wire replaces the wool or cotton threads on the loom, creating a silver fabric that can then be shaped into different forms. Following their conceptual and experimental phase, during which the wire thread was tested on a metal frame to set up the tensions, for their first design they produced an abstract silver wave – Mewġa.

Antoine Vella is the seventh generation in a family of weavers. He is a familiar face at many artisanal events, where he can be seen demonstrating his weaving skills at the loom. Very experienced on traditional weaving, particularly carpets, Antoine is also experimenting on other products and was part of the winning teams at Premju Ġieħ l-Artiġjanat Malti 2022 and 2023, collaborating on the creation of swimwear, and a modern chair.

His son Jean-Paul started to help him in the business, and – wanting to try something outside the traditional weaving niche – he also started experimenting weaving with other materials.

The Marrakesh Collection features a distinctive hexagonal top that accentuates the natural beauty of the material. Proportion plays a fundamental role in the design of the tables, becoming most noticeable when used in clusters. Each surface rests on a simple yet functional solid brass frame, whose main purpose is to provide centre stage to the table top itself.

Clifford Carabott founded Artefact Craftworks – a small-scale, artisanal workshop specialising in the creation of lifestyle-enhancing products for the home – as an expression of his love of design and deep respect for time-honoured craftsmanship.

The MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts showcase presents four collections created by the Advanced Diploma in Fashion and Retail second-year students as their final major project. Created by 19 students split in groups – each developing a unique concept and working collaboratively to ensure cohesion and alignment with their chosen themes – the four collections are: Opulent Allure: a lavish exploration of luxury and sophistication; Precarious: an edgy, thought-provoking narrative of balance and instability; Remnant: a nostalgic journey through remnants of the past and their modern interpretation; and Velata Anima: a mysterious and ethereal tale shrouded in veiled elegance.

Second-year students undertaking the Advanced Diploma in Fashion and Retail offered at the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts are presenting their final major project of the course at designMT. The course equips students with the essential skills within the fashion retail sector and basic entrepreneurial knowledge to establish themselves in the industry. The students are: Clement Gauci Peresso, Ilona Marquette, Mariah Pace, Matias Cassar, Shanaia Zammit, Thea Tedesco; Diego Mirabile, Karolina Calleja, Keira Aquilina, Maya D’Amato; Alexandria Wood, Jake Xerri, Maja Attard Portughes, Martina Calleja, Michelle Vella; Cherise Debono, Faith Maria Scicluna Genovese, Ria Elene Hewitt, and Myra Grech.

Centred on sustainability, Emanuel Sammut’s art honours circular economy principles by transforming discarded wood into timeless pieces. Each handcrafted work challenges waste perceptions and promotes sustainable practices, showcasing the potential in regenerating resources. Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Flying Machine, his white textured sculptures are made from Swietenia and resemble bat wings. The zero-waste Bird Sculpture, crafted entirely from leftover woodcuts, maximises material use and minimises waste. Through his creative process, Emanuel demonstrates how art can inspire a shift towards more eco-conscious living by revealing the endless possibilities in reimagining and reusing discarded materials.

Emanuel Sammut, founder of Atelier Manuel, has a love for trees and wood-crafting that shows through the variety of wooden artefacts and colourful wooden toys he designs, which seem to invite their holder to find comfort in nature and pause from today’s busy world. All his artwork is uniquely handcrafted from reclaimed wood, made with love and customised upon request. In his efforts to support sustainability and embrace the principles of the circular economy, his main resource is discarded wood which he reshapes and redesigns to shine a new light on it and extend its life.

Tara Lois Mansell’s more avant-garde contemporary designs were specifically handcrafted for international museums and curated events. Wildflower Obscura represents a clifftop spring flower meadow swirling in the wind, set against a Mediterranean and glimmering sun backdrop. The statement pink petal is the heart of the design, giving the illusion of falling, symbolising the many obscured threats to this idyllic landscape. Refraction is a limited collection of unique pieces designed in response to a rainbow of sunlight undulating on a pool’s surface. Highly technical plique-a-jour enamel, leather, and the wearer’s clothes help capture this colourful memory of a summer’s afternoon.

Tara Lois Mansell is one of Malta’s leading luxury contemporary designers and jewellery makers. Her unique opulent creations have been commissioned by clients around the world; exhibited internationally, such as at the Milan Jewellery Week; featured in fashion magazines, including Vogue and Vanity Fair; and won prestigious awards, including a Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Award. Her bespoke wearable sculptures contain hidden narratives often symbolising her clients’ deepest emotions, specialising in redesigning inherited jewellery. Her aesthetic contrasts strong organic curves, handcrafted in sustainable precious metals, with delicate highlights of coloured vitreous enamel, glass, gemstones, or filigree.

It is no wonder that blue with all its shades, hues, and tints is a constant fascination for an artist living on an island with predominant clear skies throughout the year and surrounded by the magnificent Mediterranean Sea. The diversity of blues experienced as an islander stimulated the #0000FF et al. Collection with its name emanating from the blue hex code incorporating all the other blending collaborating colours. #0000FF et al. forms part of the Zelda designs Art to Wear statement pieces intended to instil love for meticulously handcrafted slow fashion items promoting individuality, versatility, and style.

Zelda designs is an emerging Maltese brand specializing in the design and creation of jewellery and accessories for contemporary women. The brand’s values for sustainability and innovation led to a line of statement jewellery pieces, Art to Wear, which utilize a mix of traditional and modern techniques and can be worn alone, or with pieces one already owns. The brand strives for individuality, versatility, and style while promoting the benefits of slow fashion, encouraging women to buy fewer, better-quality items that last, and thus minimizing the ecological footprint, whilst respecting human rights and saving money in the long run.

Door knockers are much more than functional or aesthetic objects associated with traditional Maltese architecture. They contain ritualistic properties: the act of knocking, and waiting to be granted entry, is simple yet significant. Today, doorbells or intercoms are used to inform inhabitants of the arrival of guests. Yet, despite the seeming redundancy, the knocker maintains a steadfast position on our timber apertures, albeit a merely decorative one in most cases. As the act of knocking and its resounding resonance are fast fading, the cheekily-named installation – Penny – reminisces this song and dance, this mini performance we once played.

Chris and Lisa Gwen Chetcuti have been working together since 2021. Chris has a long-standing career working with sculpture and bronze-casting and Lisa working in the arts as a writer and curator. Taking inspiration from Lisa’s personal project, MaltaDoors, together they decided to create a series of designs for door knockers. The series has also won them an award, the Premju Ġieħ l-Artiġjanat Malti 2021 in the Non-precious Materials category awarded by the Malta Crafts Foundation.

An innovative blend of traditional craft and modern technology through 3D printed porcelain, the piece is made up of a long, thin strand of porcelain intricately woven to mimic the delicate textures of fabric or lace. It explores the contrast between the softness of fabric and the actual rigidity and resilience of porcelain. Conceptually, the piece is a celebration of technological advancement, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of craft. By embracing 3D printing, this work redefines traditional porcelain artistry, merging the old with the new to create something uniquely contemporary and aesthetically captivating.

After completing his B.A. (Honours) in Fine Arts at the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts in 2016, Nico Conti moved to London to study ceramics at the Royal College of Art. During this time, he received several awards and was invited to present his 3D-printed work to HRH, the Prince of Wales. Blending his love of materials with an inquisitive, experimental approach, Nico combines humble materials like clay with cutting-edge 3D printing technologies, thereby imbuing his pieces with elegance, balance, luxury, and beauty. His unique porcelain creations are designed to interact with light, enhancing their delicate and refined qualities.

As the world faces these dark times, the flow of dark red leather symbolizes the blood lost in global and regional conflicts, while black leather is a sober reminder of smoke rising from our cities and of our souls trying to make sense of everything around us, including death. Crocodile print on cowhide shows the primordial strength and resilience of a silent, elegant, yet fatal power of nature. By applying these textures on handcrafted, functional leather accessories, this exclusive collection highlights the timeless elegance of custom belts and sophistication of bags with an innovative artisanal twist in full grain leather.

A retired Armed Forces of Malta Captain turned artist, leather-craftsman, and designer, Keith-John Caruana always craved to create unique long-lasting pieces of art that serve a purpose. Having lived in Tuscany during his training with the Italian Navy, he spent all his weekends getting inspired by the skilled traditional leather-craftsmen showcasing their art in the narrow alleys of the world-famous leather market of Firenze. Today Keith-John is the man behind Captain’s Cut, a boutique leather brand specializing in bespoke belts and leather art using sustainable practices and no electrical machinery.