Zack Ritchie on Public Art and Beppe the Cactus in Malta

In short

• Zack Ritchie is a Malta-based artist and sculptor who created Beppe the Cactus and the Archipals universe.
• His first public art proposal came back with the feedback that it looked like a joke. A developer later said yes to five sculptures.
• He says 365 daily drawings, each timed to one hour and shared, changed his style, his confidence and his network.
• His advice for anyone pitching public art in Malta: think win-win, then listen.

Zack Ritchie has heard his favourite cartoon world compared to Mickey Mouse more than once, and not as a compliment. In this episode of On The Rock, the interview series recorded at CastMe, our podcast studio in Malta, he explains how that insult became a bronze landmark in St Julian’s, and why he still struggles to give himself a job title.

How did a rejected idea end up at Mercury Tower?

The story starts with an open call. An architect friend pointed Zack towards it, and he went all in: branding, packaging, a 3D print, and help with the internal structure. Months passed with no reply, so he picked up the phone.

The answer stung. “I thought it was a joke,” he was told, because the proposal was a cartoon character. Zack says he was sad, and that he had really believed in it. Then he reframed the problem: maybe the buyer was simply someone else, perhaps a property developer.

That someone turned out to be Mercury Tower, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects. According to Zack, the project was looking for a sculpture. A meeting planned for 15 minutes lasted three hours, and he left with a yes for five sculptures rather than one. Each is described in the episode as three metres tall, in bronze.

He admits he went home and panicked, because he did not yet know how to make a sculpture or a product. He decided he would figure it out, and the project took about three years.

Where did Beppe the Cactus come from?

Zack traces his creativity to restaurant napkins. His father taught him to draw on them, and a shy, dyslexic boy found that waiters kept his cartoons or passed a kind comment. Those small remarks, he says, helped build his confidence.

He studied fine arts, moved into graphic design, left an agency without a plan and narrowed his way down to commercial illustration. In 2018 a two-week solo exhibition, Malta’s Got Character, changed the direction and gave him a cast of characters that includes Beppe. Built on a local phrase about a “Mickey Mouse country”, it was so busy that, he recalls, the wine and food ran out.

What did 365 days of drawing teach him?

Two experiments opened the door. First, he invited artists to reinterpret Beppe in their own style, and 33 took part, from Malta, Brazil and Colombia. The result became a digital exhibition on Behance, and he later commissioned some of those artists.

Then came discipline: one drawing a day, timed to an hour and shared, for a full year. The lesson he values most has little to do with technique. “You are not your work. You are greater than your work,” he says.

The daily habit also created his commercial break. Drawing NFT artists on Twitter led one of them to propose a collaboration, and around 22 or 23 collaborations followed, by his count. He then minted a different cactus each day for 315 days, and stopped short of a full year when the sculpture project needed him.

Why does wholesale suit character products in Malta?

The project also asked about a shop, on the logic that landmarks generate souvenirs. Zack’s team grew to nine and learned about factories, production and product safety certification. The shop ran for seven months before the team moved to distribution.

His explanation is about context. Inside Heritage Malta locations, he says, products about stories and culture simply make sense, while being next to the sculptures did not sell as well as hoped. Businesses also came asking to use the characters in campaigns, which pointed to a business-to-business route.

What is next for public art in Malta?

A sixth sculpture, La Familja, stands on the roundabout between Pender and Mercury. It shows people of different heights and ages holding hands, and Zack says it welcomes people to an area becoming more family and business oriented.

Next, he hopes to place 15 to 20 story-led sculptures around Malta, then apply the model abroad. He says one current project will take around six years, and that schools now invite him to run character workshops on creativity and courage.

How do you pitch public art in Malta?

Zack calls the island a testing ground where word of mouth moves fast. “You can be a big fish in a small pond,” he says, and that pond has influence, because a single sculpture in St Julian’s is seen by most people who live here.

His method is to reach the decision makers, show the value for them and be honest about your intention. Then ask whether it is what they actually need, because win-win assumptions are often only hunches. For a shy 18-year-old with a sketchbook, he suggests making work for a brand or community and writing them something thoughtful.

About the guest

Zack Ritchie is a Malta-based multidisciplinary artist and sculptor working across public art, character IP and brand collaboration. Explore his work at zackritchie.com, or follow him on Instagram, LinkedIn and X. He was interviewed by Thomas Giraud, co-founder of CastMe.

Key moments from the interview

• 04:43 Drawing on napkins with his dad
• 10:43 Leaving the agency without a plan
• 20:53 The first solo exhibition
• 27:04 33 artists draw Beppe
• 29:46 Discipline: one drawing a day
• 38:23 How NFTs changed everything
• 44:09 The first rejection
• 45:49 The developer who said yes
• 55:04 Why the shop closed
• 57:44 What’s next and La Familja
• 67:51 What Malta rewards
• 73:16 Advice: think win-win

FAQ about Zack Ritchie and his sculptures

Who is Zack Ritchie?

He is a Malta-based artist and sculptor who created Beppe the Cactus and the Archipals universe.

Who made the bronze sculptures at Mercury Tower?

Zack Ritchie designed the bronze sculpture series at Mercury Tower in St Julian’s, after the project approved five sculptures.

What is La Familja?

La Familja is a sculpture by Zack on the roundabout between Pender and Mercury, showing people of different heights and ages holding hands.

Where can you buy Archipals products in Malta?

According to Zack, most of the stock is at a souvenir shop called Odyssey, with products also distributed through Heritage Malta.

Have a story worth telling?

This episode was recorded and edited at CastMe in Sliema. Discover podcasts and videos recorded in our studio, read where to record your next episode in Malta, then book a recording session by the hour or choose our full production service.