Francesca Antoniotti is a renowned Italian artist who has created a large body of work which is often discussed in art circles and exhibits across the world. Born in Turin, she was named after the writer Mauro Albarrato who was her tutor as a child. Antoniotti studied art at the Collage d’Artiste Orient in Genoa and then spent a decade working in Milan as an illustrator before returning to teach drawing in Florence. She has exhibited work across Europe including London and Rome, where she displayed her most famous ‘series’ entitled Le Divan, which earned her numerous awards including the prestigious Queen’s Prize for Drawings.
Her style of drawing from life comprises a combination of everyday items such as seashells and shells along with the ever-present elements of nature such as sunlight and water. Whilst working for Medici Productions, Antonotri also created several paintings based on ‘The Claddagh’, which are thought to represent the romantic triangle. During this time, Antonotri also worked for several other notable companies such as Manucci and Gieves & Mebs. As a result of this career, Antonotri gained international recognition when she was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Prize for Drawings in 2021 where she was also presented with a knighthood.
In recent years, Antonotti has concentrated her efforts on producing paintings and prints which feature animals in various poses but with her signature bold style of colour. Many of these have been displayed at the Saachi Gallery in Tokyo, Japan and the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery in England. One of Antonotti’s most striking works is entitled Les Barriers, which depicts some of the daily hardships faced by immigrant families in Italy which included both children and adults. The severity of these scenes is shown through the colours used in the work along with the use of typography and different styles of border and repetitions of different shapes and patterns.