Arts & culture
This Maltese graffiti artist is making his mark on Europe's walls
Justin Bonnici's work is bold and beautiful.

Nicole Parnis

Justin Bonnici is a famed Maltese tattoo artist who doubles up as a graffiti artist, creating masterpieces everywhere he goes! As well as spray-painting large scale murals in Malta, Justin has now ventured beyond our shores to grace the walls of some of Europe’s coolest cities. We caught up with Justin to get the lowdown on his practice. Here’s what he had say.

Hey Justin, we love your work! When did you start doing graffiti?

"I started doing graffiti at the age of thirteen. This was my idea of playing and helped pass the time, just for fun. I used to do this in abandoned buildings which were very dangerous, but these were the only places that did not get me into trouble. I stopped for a while because of school but then I started again professionally at the age of eighteen."

Fgura

Fgura / Justink's and Murals / Facebook 

What is it that you love about graffiti?

"Doing graffiti makes me happy because it gives me the freedom to express myself just the way I want to, whilst enjoying the location and atmosphere around me. It also helps me to get to know new people whilst receiving kind and genuine feedback for my creations and talent. Graffiti also takes me around the globe and connects me with other artists, expanding my knowledge in this area. The end result - the artwork itself - obviously tops the list of reasons why graffiti makes me happy."

Where have you been so far to paint abroad?

"Travelling abroad to paint was never a conscious intention. I only used to paint a few pieces per year since, as some of you might know, I am a tattoo artist, which means that I spend a lot of time at the shop. However, lately, I started getting a lot of exposure through social media networks. Thanks to this, my work was being displayed, online, all around the globe. It is safe to say that my work reached a number of famous street art event organisers who ultimately ended up contacting me to take part in their events as a guest artist. This support from famous foreign artists has pushed me and given me a huge boost. Thanks to these opportunities, I have painted twice in Greece, twice in the Bristol (at UPfest, the largest national street art event), and also The Netherlands, where I got the opportunity to paint in Amsterdam."

Bristol

Bristol / Justink's and Murals / Facebook

Where can we see your work in Malta?

"I usually paint in areas in the south of Malta since they are close to home. Some of my graffiti is displayed at the Jerma, a former four-star hotel in Marsaskala which has now collapsed and has been abandoned. You can also come across some painted shop shutters in Fgura, whilst in the centre of that town, there are several painted walls as well. In the near future I will be painting in Sliema and St Paul's Bay too!"

Amsterdam

Amsterdam / Justink's and Murals / Facebook 

Where do you plan on going next?

"My next destination this year is Leicester (at the Bring The Paint event) and, after that, I will be painting in the Netherlands (at the Writer’s Block event). Following these two events I will also be travelling to Spain."

What do you love about painting abroad?

"What I love about painting abroad is the different atmosphere and environment; meeting foreign artists who teach me lots of new styles and give me new ideas; and being shown natural areas of the country. This gives me the chance to start visualising ideas in my mind as I take in my surroundings and it inspires me immensely!"

Thank you Justin and keep up the great work! 

24th April 2019


Nicole Parnis
Written by
Nicole Parnis
Nicole Parnis is a writer and lifestyle blogger with a passion for music and a penchant for anything retro. She loves nothing more than rummaging for new vinyl records on a Sunday with her chihuahua Frankie.