Renowned London-based interior designer Francis Sultana has been named a cultural ambassador for Malta.

Raised in Gozo, Mr Sultana set up his eponymous studio in London in 2009. As the artistic director of the David Gill international design and art gallery, he has curated the iconic design collections of some of the world’s biggest names, including Zaha Hadid, Frederikson Stallard and Mattia Bonetti.

Mr Sultana was also pivotal in Malta’s return to the prestigious Venice Biennale last year, and sits on the board of the Malta International Contemporary Art Space, a new museum set to open in 2021.

His role as an ambassador of culture, a title which is also bestowed on tenor Joseph Calleja, honours his work in helping position Malta on the international map for art and design and will see him continue to attract cultural institutions to Malta during Valletta 2018 and beyond.

Mr Sultana said he was proud to have been honoured by his home country and looked forward to supporting Malta in establishing itself in the field internationally.

“I will ensure Malta attracts the best artists, designers and architects, collaborating with other cultural institutions globally, both during this year of Valletta2018 and moving forwards as we build MICAS, our incredible new museum,” he said.

“I want our future generations to have access to the best the creative world has to offer, right on their doorstep, so they know that their dreams can truly become realistic ambitions.”

Mr Sultana is a judge of both PAD and Masterpiece fairs in London and Paris.

He is an adviser to the NSPCC Rebuilding Childhoods and co-founded the Design Fund for the Victoria and Albert Museum with Yana Peel, CEO of Serpentine Galleries and Ben Evans, founder of the London Design Festival. He is on the International Council for the museum. He is one of only a handful of UK designers to be featured in Architectural Digest’s annual AD100.