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Marisa Micallef

St John's Cavalier

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.

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Sue Mifsud

Valletta Design Cluster

Sue Mifsud is a ceramics designer and maker, with a BA Hons degree in Ceramics, Design from Glasgow School of Art. She has been working with clay since 1993 and currently works full time from her home studio in Rabat. Her days consist mainly of designing and producing wheel thrown bespoke functional ware for prominent restaurants, chefs, and for private clients, and also makes a range of off the shelf creations. She is influenced heavily by the landscape of the Maltese archipelago, the people she meets, and life in general.

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Gabriella Lukacs

Valletta Design Cluster

Born and raised in the picturesque Hungarian countryside, Gabriella Lukacs has always been inspired by natural beauty. This deep connection to nature is the cornerstone of GABE, the fashion brand she founded in 2009. With an unwavering dedication to sustainability, she dedicated her career to creating zero-waste designs that challenge the fast fashion industry throw-away trends. By blending timeless aesthetics with durability, Gabriella ensures that each piece from GABE stands the test of time, both in style and quality. Her collections are not just clothing but statements of conscious living, reflecting her unwavering commitment to the planet.

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Christopher Saliba

Valletta Design Cluster

Christopher Saliba is a Maltese artist specialising in abstract and expressionist painting, sculpture, and etching. After graduating from the University of Malta in 1996, he received a scholarship to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Perugia, Italy. Upon returning, he settled in Gozo, balancing his art practice with teaching. Saliba has held numerous solo exhibitions in Malta and internationally, including in Paris, London, and Brussels. He has received several awards, including at the 2007 Malta International Biennale. His works are featured in private and public collections in Malta and globally.

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Federica Zahra

Fortress Builders

Federica Zahra is an eighteen-year-old student at the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts, pursuing a degree in product design. In addition to her education, she is also working part-time at a furniture manufacturer, where she designs furniture that meets practical and functional needs. Having always enjoyed creating things from a young age, she later drew inspiration from TV shows on house renovations that encouraged her to pursue a career in furniture design.

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Etienne Bugeja

Fortress Builders

Captivated by the cool glow of a screen, weaving digital worlds on his Atari 130xe in the ancient tongue of QBasic, Etienne Bugeja spent his childhood in the company of pixels and code, discovering a passion for graphic design. His choice of macabre themes is more than just artistic; it mirrors the shadows that touched his life, having had to battle with severe health challenges. Alongside his digital artwork, Etienne has recently turned his focus to giving life to his creations through 3D printing, transforming his eerie visions into physical forms and adding a unique, living dimension to his work.

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Justine Navarro

Fortress Builders

Justine Navarro is a British-Maltese artist and designer with a Bachelor’s degree in Design, Branding & Marketing from UCA, London, and a Master’s in Digital Art. Her practice includes creating photo-collage paintings and video visuals for DJs and installations, exploring themes of excess, consumerism, wealth, and gambling. With experience as a superyacht chef for high-net-worth individuals including Cristiano Ronaldo, Justine gained insights into global luxury tastes. She is now applying her expertise in branding and taste to launch her startup food and drink products, Canotip and Slim Husk, aiming to make them widely accessible and beneficial.

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Raymond Aquilina

Fortress Builders

Raymond Aquilina is a mosaic artist, the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of coloured glass, marble, stone, or other materials. A perfectionist who loves to work with details, Raymond succeeded to take the craft to the next level, where each piece is a work of art. Having always been enchanted by the beauty of the sea around the Maltese islands, Raymond portrays it in his art, expressing its colours that – like moods – change throughout the day.

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Marija-Evelina Spiteri

Fortress Builders

Marija-Evelina Spiteri is an abstract artist whose passion for art runs deep in her veins. From a very young age, Marija-Evelina’s exposure to art was encouraged to be a display of feelings and emotions, a part of herself and what she goes through, all depicted onto the canvas. Although acrylics remain her personal favourite, Marija-Evelina applies a variety of different mediums and textures creating mystery and depth to her paintings and leaving the artwork to the viewer’s interpretation.

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Charlene Joan Sant

Fortress Builders

Charlene Joan Sant is a Maltese designer and self-taught seamstress who furthered her skills through studying at the London College of Fashion and École Lesage in Paris. She created her brand Churpina more than 10 years ago. With a focus on swimwear, she creates a yearly collection of limited-edition pieces all beautifully influenced by the culture of the Maltese islands. Keeping the environment close to heart and incorporating sustainable practices at each step of the process, she aims to accentuate the beauty of free-spirited femininity.