Gunther Schneck was a prolific German architect and artist. He formed part of the team of architects who designed the Munich Olympic Stadium in 1972 and dedicated his artistic life to a passionate exploration of graphics, painting and sculpture.

Over 30 years ago, Schneck visited Malta and immediately fell in love with Gozo. Together with his wife, he purchased a property in Għajnsielem overlooking the picturesque bay of Xatt l-Aħmar.

Every year he would spend the summer months here, enjoying the sea and the sun during the day and then working in his workshop in the evenings.

As his neighbour and friend I had the pleasure to witness his creative process and could admire the energy with which he produced his works.

His work dealt mainly with themes of human existentiality, a subject he gladly discussed in depth over a glass of wine at his favourite restaurant in Ramla, but he also explored local traditions and liked to illustrate through his graphics the everyday life of Gozo.

His works were always very colourful and intensely expressive. He signed all his artwork with the pseudonym ‘Bebbuxu’, a direct translation of his surname, Schneck, and the locals’ nickname for him.

Schneck held many solo exhibitions in his homeland in Bavaria and also exhibited locally, most notably in 1993 at the Museum of Fine Arts, in Valletta, but I believe that his most important and famous, although entirely anonymous, work in our islands is the monumental snail that he carved out of the rock many years ago close to the salt pans at Qbajjar.

This bebbuxu has been the subject of countless postcards, brochures and even the cover of the Air Malta in-flight magazine.

Sadly, he passed away this January, at the age of 84.

I think it is time for the bebbuxu sculpture to be publicly recognised as a lasting tribute to this wonderful man and artist and his love for our little island.