Have you ever strolled along the bustling streets of Valletta, Malta’s capital city, and marveled at the vibrant murals that adorn its historic walls? Chances are, you’ve admired the handiwork of Herbert Conrad, a man who has quietly transformed Malta’s urban scene into an open-air art gallery.

Herbert Conrad, a soft-spoken yet passionate Maltese artist, didn’t set out to become a street art icon. His journey began in the late 1980s, spray-painting graffiti on walls around Msida and Birkirkara. But it was a trip to Berlin in the early 1990s that sparked a revelation. “I saw how street art could be more than just graffiti,” Conrad recalls. “It could be a form of expression, a way to tell stories, to make people think.”

Conrad returned to Malta with a new vision. He started creating murals that reflected Malta’s rich history and culture. His work began to pop up around the island – a giant St. George’s Cross on a wall in Floriana, a tribute to Malta’s World War II heroine, Maria Essers, in Msida, and a striking portrait of Malta’s first president, Anton Buttigieg, on a building in Birkirkara.

But it was his 2014 mural of former Maltese Prime Minister Dom Mintoff on a wall in Żejtun that truly put Conrad on the map. The mural, depicting Mintoff as a young man, sparked a national conversation about Malta’s political history and the role of street art in shaping public discourse.

Today, Conrad’s work can be found throughout Malta, from the busy streets of Sliema to the quiet alleyways of Rabat. His murals have become a part of the island’s cultural fabric, drawing tourists and locals alike. Yet, despite his impact, Conrad remains humble, preferring to let his art speak for itself.

“Street art is about making people stop and think,” Conrad says. “It’s about adding color and life to our cities. It’s about telling our story, our history, our culture. That’s what I try to do with my art.”