UNITED BUDDY BEARS SHOW - Penang 2016

“Malta – gawhra fil-mediterran“, a Maltese saying, in English:

‘Malta - a gem in the Mediterranean Sea“

The statue shows the Mediterranean as if it were a bear. North Africa is represented on the lower part and Sicily (Italy) and Greece representing the European continent are featured on the bear’s head and left arm respectively.

Malta is presented as a gem around the bear’s neck and resting on the bear’s chest. Underneath, the bear is painted with the hues of the Mediterranean motifs and the Maltese cross, adorning traditional Maltese means of transport such as buses, trucks and boats that were adapted, modified and elaborated to create a maritime pattern

Additionally, the lines on the mainland regions echo typical decorative designs on the external and internal surfaces of Maltese public buses.

Adrian Abela