“I started with masked lady and the apple, which was commissioned by a health store called the Raw shop. They approached me to bring a well-needed splash of colour to their road,” he told Lovin Malta.

Maraud got the green-light from the local council, and soon after, was asked to paint murals for a neighbouring shop – an eyelash bar called Pamelash.

“From there, I continued to brainstorm ideas for colourful murals with animals and inspiring people. Those grey walls were like an empty canvas waiting to be filled,” he mused.

Piece by piece, Maraud is filling up the street with his art. More recently, he painted Hedwig, the owl from the classic movie series Harry Potter for a young girl he met who wants to be a painter.

He also produced a tribute piece for Fabio Spiteri, the philanthropic athlete who cycled the entire coast of Sicily to raise money for animal shelters in Malta – a cause close to the artist’s heart. 

The feedback to his work has been positive overall.

“The murals make people happy – I see passerby take pictures with them every day,” he said, adding that he plans to fill the whole wall with his art.

More companies, including a dance school and a spa, have asked him to help them bring colour to their spaces too.

“I’m just happy to put a smile on peoples’ faces. Let’s put some colour on those boring buildings!” he said.

Tag someone who needs to see these murals!