Glass Artist & Musician

Walter Vella's introduction to glass started in the early seventies when he enrolled as an apprentice craftsman/designer in a glass factory set up by the Chinese Government. However, the venture was short lived and Walter started studying Interior Design, earning a Diploma with Distinction in 1975 and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Design Management from Kensington University, California in 1982. He studied etching and acquatint in Stockholm, Sweden in 1978/79, where he was working as a musician.

In 1981, Walter had his first solo exhibition of inks at the Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta. During this time, he worked in several architectural offices and spent ten years working on his own. 1984 saw a turning point in Walter's career where he opened his own stained glass studio, the first commercial studio of its kind in Malta and is still enjoying success today. By 1986, Walter left his interior design profession entirely and concentrated solely on stained glass, where he was determined to excel in this difficult medium.

After a tuition course in Siena, Italy under the master guidance of artist Alberto Positano, he learned the difficult techniques of grisaille painting and silver staining. With this accumulated knowledge and his initial exposure to blownglass, Walter started experimenting with hot glass (mainly fused kiln work) and participating in several joint exhibitions showing his work. In 2004 he made his first solo glass exhibition at St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity.

In 2006, an exhibition entitled "Glass Attitudes" was held at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta. In 2007, Walter worked a master class in England with renowned Australian artist Emma Vargas. His last solo exhibition was in May 2009 at Heritage Malta head office entitled "Shards". Walter's fused glass work and stained glass commissions are found in many private and public places in Malta and abroad.