The son of well-known statuary, Wistin Camileri, Camilleri Cauchi was born in Victoria Gozo in 1940. He studied at the Bishop’s Seminary, Gozo; St Anthony’s College, Mgarr, Gozo; and St Michael’s Training College.
Wistin instilled artistic ideals and tenets in his son who also learned a lot about painting in churches from Prof. GB. Conti, Prof. Giuseppe Briffa, G. Caruana, and T. Busuttil.
At a very young age, Camilleri Cauchi obtained a diploma from the Press Art School in London and a diploma from Pietro Vannucci in Perugia. In Italy, he participated in different exhibitions and won acclaim for his works. In Malta, he was employed as a teacher of art in primary and secondary schools but resigned in 1973 after winning commissions from local churches.
Camilleri Cauchi took part in many personal and collective exhibitions in Malta and abroad, including the Tokyo Olympic Games 1964 Art Exhibition. His works are to be found in America, Brazil, Canada, Australia, India, and some European countries.
He has established a name in depicting the Gozo scene and catching the ‘local colours’, excelling himself in depicting farmers, fishermen, and local scenes.
Camilleri Cauchi was responsible of the official poster of the 1st World Congress of the Former Students of Don Bosco and the main paintings of Don Bosco and Macire Mazzarello in the Ergife Hotel in Rome in 1988. Works by him were presented to Pope Paul John II in 1985 and in 1988 in the Salesian Assembly and during the pope’s visit to Malta in 1990.
Works of art by Camilleri Cauchi are to be found in the churches of Cospicua, Balzan, Fontana, Floriana, Gharb, Luqa, Marr Gozo, Msida, Naxxar, Qala, Qrendi, Rabat, San Lawrenz, Siggiewi, Sliema, Tarxien, Valletta, Victoria, Wardija, Xewkija, Zebbug, Malta, and Zurrieq.
Camilleri, who was appointed Officer of the Order of St John of Jerusalem in 1968, is married to Mary Rose Bezzina, and they have two daughters, Tiziana and Tiberia.