Biography

Born in Piacenza (Italy), after attending grammar school in her hometown and obtaining a law degree at Parma University, Franca Franchi practiced law, apparently overlooking her artistic skills, which her primary school teachers had identified, taking her part successfully in pictorial competitions.

At the end of 2008, inspired by the photographs of Water Crystals studied by Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto, she expressed an original artistic style creating compositions by recycling materials: mirror, glass, and crystal shattered, applied on wood, steel, or crystal, using, sometimes, paint.
These works are harmonic, elegant, and have a strong impact.
Thus began a period of strong production and very intense participation to exhibitions and displays, both in private and public areas, in Italy and abroad.

In 2010 wearable sculptures are born, little compositions made by vitreous paste and glass on steel with a steel necklace, and in 2011 sculptures to be lived unique design pieces such as lamps (illuminated sculptures) and tables. Her artistic style gradually goes to a more essential form, a research of solid beauty, instinctive and simple, avoiding complicated or minute.
In 2014, Franca Franchi established with Massimo Tosini, “"Zen in Art - to a Zen aesthetic”" presented for the first time at the exhibition “Time without beginning and without end. The Zen meets contemporary art” at Park Hydroscalo - Time and Art Tower and Idroart Space in Milan, with support of the Province of Milan and General Consulate of Japan in Milan, in September 2014.

Her creative process was overseen by Gillo Dorfles who has supervised and hosted the exhibition “Il segno e la luce"(june 2015), event that took place in a suggestive medieval hamlet in Vigoleno (PC), which is famous also for the artists who have been connected with it over the years as Max Ernst, Lucio del Pezzo, Enrico Bay, Maurice Henry and others.

The famous art critic hosted also the jewelry collection “Haiku”, inspired by the Zen aesthetic, at the Biffi Art Gallery in Piacenza from 15/12/2015 to 13/2/2016 and the exibition "The Cristal overcomes the Simmetry" held at Galleria Rossini - Jewellery Art Gallery in Milan (8th November / 3rd Dicember 2016).
Reference is made to the artist in the last two pages of Gillo Dorfles’s anthology “Gli artisti che ho incontrato” (Skira 2015 page. 848-849).
Also the italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera” wrote about Franca Franchi, who started to work full-time as sculptress and designer in 2016. The whole page article, signed by Melisa Garzonio, is named: "The artist who has donated an aesthetic Zen to Baroque" (pag. 34 on 11 june 2016).

In 2020, Franca Franchi opened the Atelier of Water Cristals in the neo-Gothic village of Grazzano Visconti, Piacenza, Italy, fully creating the house, the laboratory, and the exhibition space. The atelier houses a selection of unique pieces, which allow those to journey into the history of the artist, from the first works called "Water Crystals" (2008-2013), which give the name to the space, to her jewels (wearable sculptures) to luminous sculptures, all the way up to the new creations of points of light, such as light fixtures and chandeliers.

In 2021, the artist created the "Author's House", which is located in the historic Palazzo Novati in the heart of Piacenza. The interiors, with exquisitely high coffered ceilings, are characterized by the inventions made by the sculptress and her works. Particularly striking are the Shoga metal panels, used to create slight divisions of spaces, as well as the tables, railings and outdoor chairs, and all unique pieces specially created for the home- each forming the central core of the Beba Design Line furnishing sculptures. The lighting, particularly effective thanks to the specially designed luminous elements, immerses you in a floating and almost liquid atmosphere of teal reflections.

In 2022, in the basement of Palazzo Novati in Piacenza, the "Cave of light" was born, a permanent and anthological exhibition of the artist's work. The environment is illuminated exclusively by the sculptures.

In 2023, the artist dedicates himself to the creation of unique pieces of garden furniture.

In the summer he created "The Garden of the Unthought and the Not Lost" in Grazzano Visconti behind the Atelier dei Cristalli d'Acqua, in front of the theater with over 30 unique garden pieces. They are tables, chairs, partition panels, made with iron elements discarded by the processes of companies in the area, creatively modified and assembled, constituting the so-called RI-Project, where the prefix RI indicates a new beginning of the material.

From 29 October to 12 November he created the exhibition "Coniugazione RI" at the Castle of San Pietro in Cerro, MIM (Museum In Motion) proposing unique pieces of garden furniture in the park and light sculptures in a room of the castle.

 

2024

On August 11th, her furniture sculptures were used to create the scenography for the opera La Bohème, an event organized by the Parma-based association I parchi della Musica in the Piazza Sagrato di Sant'Agata di Rivergaro (PC).

From September 1st to 21st, the artist held a solo exhibition in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, in the historic Bocca bookshop, titled An Alphabet of the Soul, creating 16 "re-signified" iron sculptures for the occasion.

On September 27th, 28th, and 29th, she participated in the Verde Grazzano event in the park of the Grazzano Visconti castle with her furniture sculptures from the RI' Project.

On October 5th, Franca Franchi was present in Monte Carlo, at the Chapiteau de Fontvielle de Monaco, with 11 other international artists, at the Rokethon Race 2024 charity event, exhibiting a dozen works.

From October 26th to November 10th, she will be present at the XVII Edition of the Artist Members' Group Exhibition, held at the Amici dell'Arte Association, Ricci Oddi Monumental Complex, Piacenza.

From November 17th to December 15th, she will participate in the group exhibition Il Libro d'Artista, held at the Bocca Bookshop in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, with the creation of a work/book that will also be exhibited at the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum. This event was conceived by the Bocca Bookshop in support of the Bagatti Valsecchi Museum.

From November 30th to December 15th, the artist will participate in the traditional group exhibition La Ceramica di Natale at the Circolo degli Artisti in Pozzo Garitta, Albissola Marina (SV).

 

2025

From January 16th to 25th, 2025, Franca Franchi will participate with her works Un Alfabeto dell'Anima in the group exhibition L[u]ogo, held in Milan at Spazio Lampo, Scalo Farini.

From April 12th to 18th, Franca Franchi will present her solo exhibition "Between Baroque and Contemporary" in the courtyards of Palazzo Novati in Piacenza, in collaboration with Interno Verde and the Municipality of Piacenza.

In September, the artist will open Inside Art-Home Gallery in Albissola Marina (Savona), at Via Repetto 42, with the inauguration on September 27th. The space will showcase her artistic work in a unique architectural setting, featuring both indoor and outdoor spaces that are well-suited to connections with various types of art and events.

From November 29th to December 14th, Franca Franchi will participate in the 23rd edition of the group exhibition "La Ceramica di Natale" at the Circolo degli Artisti in Albissola Marina (Savona).

 

2026

From February 21st to March 29th, the artist will participate in the group exhibition "Ri_Cicli_Ka_Mente," organized by the Qui Arte association, in the Cellette of Palazzo della Sibilla, Fortezza del Priamar, Savona.