The statue of Saint Joseph venerated in the Parish church of St George in Gozo.

If one tours the Maltese islands, attends village feasts or visits our churches, one is bound to come across a statue by renowned sculptor Agostino Camilleri.

Born on May 2, 1885 in Victoria, to Joseph and Catherine née Bonnet – who both hailed from Żejtun – Camilleri was fascinated by sculpture from a young age and would make his own small statues and figures.

At the age of 10, he entered the seminary as an external student, not a boarder. Here he was taught art and design by a Jesuit brother.

He continued his studies at the School of Art in Valletta where he was taught by Ġużeppi Duca from Cospicua. Soon after he became a pupil of the famous Maltese painter Ġużeppi Calì – the latter was so impressed with Camilleri’s talent that he encouraged him to enrol in the school of art in San Luca, Rome.

Camilleri joined the school and spent close to three years studying there. After school, in the evenings, he would spend his time learning the trade of papier-mâché  under the Italian sculptor Filippo Coppa.

Upon his return to Malta, he found that not many sculptors were using papier-mâché for statues, so he decided to specialise in this field. Around the year 1909 he opened a workshop in Victoria.

The statue of Our Lady of Sorrows venerated in the parish church of Żebbuġ in Gozo.

Camilleri was considered to be among the best classical statuarians locally. In an interview, Camilleri was asked which of his works he considered to be his best, to which he replied that the statues of Our Lady of Grace located in the Capuchin church in Victoria, and the statue of the Sacred Heart made for the parish of Fontana, were the best as they were his most original works.

When Monti, the Italian painter visited Malta he could hardly believe that the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was made by a person from Gozo, so much so that he remarked that not even in Rome was there such a professionally made statue.

When on June 8, 1923 the statue of the Sacred Heart was carried outside for its first procession, one of the local newspapers wrote: “It truly is a remarkable statue... a very original piece of work, the face is divine and human at the same time, the eyes full of hope... the arms open upwards as though beckoning you to quickly embrace Him.”

Camilleri was also one of the first artists who experimented using concrete in his works. Two of his earliest works were the statues of St Peter and St Paul which are made of stone and are placed on the frontispiece of the Capuchin church in Victoria.

Camilleri was honoured by Blessed Pope Paul VI and awarded the title of Commander of the Order of the Knights of St John

Camilleri made many Good Friday processional statues. Among the most beautiful ones is the monument in Mosta of the dead body of Christ surrounded by eight angels.

For the Cathedral in Gozo, besides the statue of the Crucifixion, we also find the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows and that of the burial of Christ, a very original masterpiece.

Mention must also be made of the statue of Veronica, the figures of the Crucifixion and the angels by Jesus’s tomb which were made for the parish of St George in Gozo. Another statue, that of Our Lady of Sorrows, was made for the parish of Żebbuġ in Gozo. This statue was restored by Agostino himself in the 1960s.

Camilleri remains known for the large amount of crucifixes he made. Many people called him ‘Agostino of the crucifixes’ and his most majestic cross is considered to be that of the cathedral of Gozo. It is worth noting that Saint George Preca used to advise people, that if they wished to buy a devotional crucifix they should go to Gozo and ask for Agostino.

For all his illustrious works, which are too many to mention, Camilleri was honoured by Blessed Pope Paul VI and awarded the title of Commander of the Order of the Knights of St John.

Camilleri’s children all inherited this skill, so much so that some of them are famous artists too who make beautiful works in every corner of the country.

It is said that Camilleri continued working until his death. He passed to eternal life at the venerable age of 94 in July of 1979.