The crafts village situated in Ta’ Qali is synonymous with a variety of skilled artisans who produce their crafts in full view of their visitors, whether locals or tourists alike. As the regeneration project of the village nears its completion in the coming months, this series of bi-weekly articles will present current and future operators at the crafts village, as well as a number of visitor attractions and amenities that are being developed.
Located under the imposing bastions of the old capital city Mdina, the Ta’ Qali Artisan Village has always been a hub for a number of traditional, skilled artisans, ranging from wood sculptors, glass blowers, ceramists, to producers of lace, jewellery, furniture, metal and stone works, and many more.
Spread over an area of over 105,000 square metres, the village has recently undergone a radical transformation that has seen a major upgrade to the common infrastructure through a project co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This includes new roads and signage, underlying services, improved street lighting, new street furniture, public conveniences and improved accessibility. Concurrently, operators are investing in their properties to better showcase their artisanship.
Among those who have already finalised the investment in their new property is The Master Plaster, who has been operating at the Ta’ Qali Artisan Village for 39 years – since its founder Sonny Gatt came up with an innovative concept in May 1981: handmade objets d’art engraved in plaster in a mosaic style and given life through colour.
Sonny was drawn to sculpting and painting from a young age and he always wondered how he could make a living out of it. In 1967 he started working in a ceramic lab in Attard and learned clay modelling.
“I used to observe the mould making process during my break-time and see the mould maker pour large amounts of plaster in the mould. Some plaster used to drop on the floor. Once, I came up with the idea of scraping the freshly dropped plaster and create something with it,” he said, adding that this led to the creation of his first art pieces: pendants. “I used to engrave into the plaster, paint it, make a hole, put a string through and the pendants would come to life.”
Sonny describes the artisan village as a place where craftsmen worked to earn a living. “I sought to be there as a craftsman as well. I thought that I would fit in perfectly. I got a small hut, and later on, moved into a larger one. I look back and think what a lovely journey this has been… It has been a roller coaster ride. But here we are today. We have built our new shop and lab and I still yearn to create new products and objets d’art, despite my old age.”
Sonny’s daughter, Julianne Marie Brincat, is slowly taking over her father’s craft and she has also started a venture in designing textile accessories, labelled as Julianne Marie Kreattiva Designs. She works with paper, pens, and ink colours and has now made a collection of scarves and other items which can also be found for sale at Master Plaster.
Master Plaster can be contacted via e-mail on sonnygatt@gmail.com or juliannemariebrincat@gmail.com or through their Facebook and Instagram profiles.
The Malta Crafts Foundation