Premio Combat Prize

Francesca’s mission is to make Mosaic ROCK. She wants to show it to the world as an art which can be incredibly rich… every material has at least one fascinating feature about it: the very nature of its texture and just the subtle tilt of a tile allow for different colours, reflections and shades depending on the angle of sight. Chances are that no two viewers will see it the same way at the same time.
Torn between optimism and surrender, Francesca is haunted by the idea of mankind’s imminent self-destruction. Yet, she still believes in a future for humanity of resourceful innovation through recycling and upcycling. She is fascinated by the colours and textures of both artificial and natural elements, which she enthusiastically hunts for in everyday life and restlessly plays with in new combinations, pairing and contrasting noble material with rubbish. Her aim is to prove their reciprocal need, how rubbish is a relative definition and how it can be turned into something useful, fun and even beautiful.
To Francesca, art has the same importance as philosophy: its ultimate purpose is to provoke something in the viewer of its time. As an artist, she feels a compelling urge to convey a message to the viewer, whether a thought or a pure emotion, as strongly as her technical and creative capabilities will allow.
In her early life Francesca challenged herself by focusing on things that did not come naturally to her (e.g. going into Law after Classics). Yet, she tried for years to placate her internal restlessness by living in different countries and cultures (Pordenone, Padua, Denver, London, Paris, New York...); When she reached 40, with the responsibility of a mother, she settled between London and Trieste and found her outlet in what she liked and did best, namely using her hands to create.
Art exhibitions, painting and modelling clay were regular hobbies which never satiated her inherent creative nature. Finally one day, she entered the Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli, in Spilimbergo: a whole new world of WONDERS opened up.
She wanted to learn how to do it properly. She found a delightful place in London, Southbank Mosaics, where she did a first Award course and a Level 2 Certificate - a place which she still regularly and enthusiastically attends twice a week. She also attends various courses per year at Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli, Spilimbergo (Roman, Bizantine and Modern mosaic) and elsewhere.
Her philosophy is always to learn as much as possible, never to take anything for granted, and then - to make it hers.
Exhibitions & awards:
- Artwork on view and for sale at the stunning, newly restored ex chiesa di Santa Chiara, Fond. Manin, 1, Murano, Venice, Italy - www.experiencemuranoglass.com
- Featured in ”The First Berliner Art Book 2018”, January 2018
- ”Threads”, Dundas Street Gallery, Edinburgh EH3 6HZ, 4-15 July 2017
- Creative Quarterly N.46 online exhibition, spring/summer 2017
- Chelsea Fringe: 4 artists’ exhibition, Oxford House Gallery, London, 20th May – 4th June 2017
- ”We need to talk about clothes”, Thread Counts, Hardwick Gallery, Cheltenham, April 2017
- Featured in Average Art Magazine, April 2017
- ”Figurative” exhibition, Light, Space and Time Gallery, April 2017. ”The Fool on the Hill” awarded Special Recognition
- Artexpo 2017, Pier 94, NYC, 21 - 24 April 2017
- “Human Nature” exhibition, Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, April 2017
- Featured in Wotisart? Magazine, April 2017
- Biennale Peschiera del Garda, Caserma dell’Artiglieria, Peschiera del Garda, Italy, 31 March–3 April 2017
- Featured in A5 Magazine, April 2017
- First Place at th ”All Women” competition, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, March 2017 (”Pindaros”)
- Winner at Renoartio March 2017 Contest (2nd Place)
- Featured in Average Art Magazine, March 2017
- ”Threads”, The Artists’ Pool, Espacio Gallery, London, 1-12 March 2017
- MeArt - Biennale Internazionale del Mediterraneo, Palermo, Italy, 9-12 March 2017
- Winner at the “Abstract Art” exhibition - 3D Category (1st Place), Light, Space and Time Gallery, March 2017
- Winner at the “Abstract Art” exhibition - Overall Winner Artists Category (3rd Place), Light, Space and Time Gallery, March 2017
- “Abstract Art” exhibition, Light, Space and Time Gallery, March 2017. “Death (Again) awarded Honourable Mention; “Birth, Re-“ awarded Special Merit
- “Luminosity” exhibition, International Gallery of the Arts, March 2017. “Pindaros” awarded Honourable Mention
-”All Women” exhibition, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, Feb 2017
- Featured in Average Art Magazine, Feb 2017
- Winner at Renoartio February 2017 Contest (5th Place)
- Featured in Art International Contemporary Magazine, January/February 2017
- Nomination for the International Award ”Galileo Galilei”, Pisa, Italy, 22 January 2017
- 2nd annual Abstract Art Contest, International Gallery of the Arts, January 2017. ”Birth, Re-” awarded Honourable Mention
- ”All Women” exhibition, Light, Space and Time Gallery, January 2017. ”Twice Alive” awarded Special Merit
- Winner at the Renoartio December 2016 Contest (7th Place)
- ”Open” exhibition, Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, Jan 2017
- Interview and artwork featured in Art Reveal Magazine, issue 23
- Featured in Average Art Magazine, Dec 2016
- Winner at the Renoartio November 2016 Contest (11th Place)
- Projekt30 Exhibition, Dec 2016
- ”Contemporary Venice”, It’s LIQUID International Art Show, Palazzo Flangini, Venice, Italy, 14 Dec 2016-14 Jan 2017
- Certificate of Excellence at the 19th Online Artavita Contest, 2016
- Overall winner at the ”Open No Theme 3D & Mixed Media” exhibition, Contemporary Art Gallery Online, Nov 2016
- Spectrum 2016 with World Wide Art/Artavita, Booth 807, Miami, FL, 30 Nov - 4 Dec 2016
- Interview and artwork featured in Exquisite Arts Magazine, Nov 2016
- Winner at the Renoartio October 2016 Contest, Nov 2016
- ”Oxygen - Fragmented Cities+Identities”, It’s Liquid International Art Festival, Jorge Jurado Art Studio in Bogota’, Colombia, 19 Nov - 19 Dec 2016
- ”Seascapes” exhibition, Light, Space and Time Gallery, Nov 2016. ”The Sea’s Riches” awarded Special Merit
- Featured in Average Art Magazine, Nov 2016
- ”Landscape, Cityscapes & Mindscapes” exhibition, Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery, Nov 2016
- Art San Diego 2016, Balboa Park Activity Center, SD, CA, 3-6 Nov 2016
- ”Animals” exhibition, Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, Nov 2016
- ”Leave/Remain” exhibition, Bank Street Arts, Sheffield, 25 - 30 Oct 2016
- ”Future Landscapes” exhibition, Ca’ Zanardi, Venice, Italy, 6 Oct - 27 Nov 2016
- Overall Winner of the ”Spotlight Solo Art Contest”, International Gallery of the Arts, 15 Oct - 15 Dec 2016
- Finalist at the Renoartio September contest, Oct 2016
- ”Open” exhibition, Light, Space and Time Gallery, Oct 2016. ”I walked on the Moon” awarded Special Recognition
- ”Landscapes” exhibition, Colors of Humanity Art Gallery, Oct 2016
- ”Light & Color” exhibition, Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery, Oct 2016. - ”Winter Forest” awarded Noteworthy Mention
- Certificate of Excellence at the 20th Online Artavita Contest, September 2016
- ”Red 2” exhibition, Gallery25N , Sept 2016
- ”Nature” exhibition, Light, Space and Time Gallery, Aug 2016.
- ”Winter Forest” awarded Special Merit
- ”Frida Kahlo – Lust for Life” exhibition, Menier Gallery, 51 Southwark Street, London SE1 1RU, 4 – 31 Aug 2016
- ”#32 Open”, CGP London, Gallery by the Pool, 1 Park Approach, London SE16 2UA, 8 - 24 July 2016
- ”Figurative” exhibition, Light, Space and Time Gallery, July 2016. ”IsayWe” awarded Special Merit
- ”Animals” exhibition, Light, Space and Time Gallery, June 2016. ”Giulia” awarded Special Recognition
- Certificate of Excellence at the 19th Online Artavita Contest, May 2016
- ”Landscapes” exhibition, Light, Space and Time Gallery, March 2016. ”Puerto Escondido” awarded Special Recognition