Francesco: 20 Years of China-Australia Artistic Trajectory

Australian artist Francesco has bridged cultural exchange between China and Australia through two decades of transnational artistic practice. As a sculptor, performance artist, and art educator, he documents the unique trajectory of cross-cultural fusion through his brushstrokes. Let us explore the splendid journey of this transnational artist through his creative works.

Francesco Artist   Australia

My name’s Francesco I’m an artist and art teacher from Australia. I’m Italian -Aussie or  an Italian who was born and raised in Australia. I’ve been and international traveling  teacher and artist for over two decades. I have over the years honed my craft and  developed my signature style in both speed sketching and speed painting via engaging  with people in public street art. It’s been since 2016 of everyday sketching that I’ve  developed my signature style. I’m self-taught in sketching and painting however, I went  to art university where I majored in sculpture in undergraduate studies and performance  art in postgraduate studies. I majored in Art and education for my masters degree that I  had obtained from RMIT university in Melbourne Australia. In 2009 I participated in asculpture exhibition which as called sculptures in the tulips as part of the Dandenong  Rangers in Melbourne art exhibition.

This is the sculpture that was exhibited in the 2009 sculpture in the Tulips festival in the Dandenong ranges in Melbourne Australia

This is a photo of my sculpture it was a university undergraduate project and it was sold in Melbourne.. it represents a transparent head .. it has smashed mirrors in the head and the idea is that you reflect when you look into a mirror but this has broken mirrors so when we reflect our memories can be distorted by the reflection that has been shattered through time .. it was a cast of my head and used clear casting resin and broken mirrors.

I’ve been a performance artist in public art festivals including the international art exhibition opening performance for the art exhibition in 2013 in Xitang and I have an artwork that was exhibited in Xitang international art exhibition in 2014 and Luo Qi the curator has kept the painting in his art collection at the Xitang art gallery since 2014.

This is the painting that is held in the Luo Qi art gallery in Xitang

This is similar style also painted in Changsha at the same time as the exhibition.. inspired by legs for hair as legs are, sexy, wild and free and hair is a representation of being wild and free and it’s a weeping girl as love hurts in most classic rock ballads.

In 2014 and 2015 I had been a paid performance artist to participate in the WuZhen art festival in both years which is held annually in October. 

Although most artist might have an initial spark ortalent, I too felt this, but it was by  everyday sketch and painting for real people in public places that meant my skills and techniques improved however it was since 2016 to the present day that my skills truly improved. 

This is a painting done in Vietnam of a famous Vietnamese living poet. I met the son of the famous poet who is a boss of a Vietnamese café franchise.This was in 2020 in Vietnam’s Halong Bay.

Fish Girl Painting 2025 and comparison of the painting done in 2019. In today’s society with digital age and social media platforms that pride on clickbait etc .. people today have an attention span of less than a gold fish ..Fish Girl is a testament of how society is visually impaired and without substance in comparison to the generations before.

It’s also available for purchase as an nft onrarible . 

The art that I offer are always portrait sketches and portrait paintings and it can be people or their pets. As this has a personal touch it is made for a set subject on demand. It’s my philosophy that art needs to host empathy with a particular niche or audience in order to add value to the artwork. Just as some people empathise more with rock music others can feel more connection with ballads, or jazz etc. Art be it music or other should connect with people with a personal touch and this the essence of the demand of my art services.

Alocal Aussie who I met in my hometown whilst drinking and sketching at the pub I had sketched both his portrait and him with his dog. Later I was in Melbourne and he  messaged me on social media asking me to paint from a photo referencefor his  girlfriend and her dog which I did a live painting in Burke St Mall in Melbourne duringthe day it was video recorded and then I sent it to him it was a commissioned painting for  his girlfriend’s house warming. It was painting in late 2023. 

Examples of my dog painting style

Since Oct 2021 when I was in Australia mainly as a result of the pandemic I started a startup business to oUer my art services. Thus, in Australia I’ve never been a teacher, in Australia I’m a full time artist. There is a demand for my art services including being  booked on an hourly rate where a host of a wedding, corporate event, birthday etc will book and pay me at an hourly rate and the guests will take away a sketch free as souvenir for the event. I also get commissioned to paint what a potential customer or client wishes to have me paint, it’s usually done from photo reference, and I paint in acrylic on canvas. I also get commissioned for mural art for restaurants on demand.

This is two paintings, each measuring 100cm x 50cm, acrylic on canvas.Painted from photo reference. 

Also a commission for a boss of a cafe in my hometown in 2023

Last year I returned to China I was an art teacher at a University in Wuhan for one year.  

Then I returned to Australia briefly and have now been teaching at the international department of a high school in Nantong in Jiangsu. I’m scheduled to be with this current  contract till end of Aug 2026.

It was painted from photo reference my friend from Changsha told me her favourite animal is a lamb so I morphed a lamb photo with her photo to create a painting of her as a lamb. Painted in 2024 when I was in Wuhan.

My first time to live and work in China was in 2002 in Heilongjiang Province and I was privileged to experience the ice-sculpture festival in Harbin at the time it was the year of the Ram and the start of the acceptance of China into the WTO.

I’m also lived and worked for 5 years in Changsha at a university and have many long term friends and acquaintances. I usually travel back to Changsha to catch up with them. I’ve been to many cities in China but I’ve also travelled and lived in other Asian countries and travelled to Europe and the UK. In 2018 I took part in a group exhibition in London at Copeland Art gallery one of the two paintings that I exhibited at was a painting of my Vietnamese girlfriend at the time.

Octopus Girl painting in Vietnam in 2020

Painting created in Vietnam in 2020 .. based on a photo references .. shows a beauty who is an object of desire , love and a wolf howling at the moon because of love agony similar to a rock ballad .

A painting created in 2015 of a university student acquaintance in Changsha it is hair that morphs into wings as I mentioned wings are wild and free and hair also represents this .. the student gave me a photo reference.

A neo-surrealist style painting done in Changsha in 2015 for a university student who was passionate and learning to play the guitar.

This is a painting done from photo reference of an acquaintance from Changsha .. capturing him in the action of playing snooker. He’s been a friend from Changsha for more than 10years. 

My speed painting can also been done as live speed painting in collaboration with live music artists or a DJ artist where I speed paint as patrons and party-goers enjoy the experience. This was something that in 2019 just before the pandemic when I was living and working in Hong Kong I had first sketched a university Hong Kong girl at MacDonalds and then she followed up by being my model as I painted her in speed painting on a canvas in a hip hop night club in SoHo in HongKong on a Saturday night.

My speed painting can also been done as live speed painting in collaboration with live music artists or a DJ artist where I speed paint as patrons and party-goers enjoy the experience. This was something that in 2019 just before the pandemic when I was living and working in Hong Kong I had first sketched a university Hong Kong girl at MacDonalds and then she followed up by being my model as I painted her in speed painting on a canvas in a hip hop night club in SoHo in HongKong on a Saturday night. 

Painting painted acrylic on canvas in Hong Kong in 2019 just before the pandemic.. it was based on two photo references of a rock musician her name is Kate she was in Hong Kong at the time getting her work visa . I have the painting in Australia.. it’s a neo-surrealist style painting.

This was created in HK also during 2019 .. and us from a university student with two photo references.Neo-surrealist style.

This is a painting commissioned by a Hong Kong businessman in 2019 prior to the pandemic I was living and working in HongKong and he requested this painting because he was part of  yacht racing club.

Since I’ve been in Nantong I’m very close to Shanghai and can take trips to SH to collaborate or be of art service to people. As for the locals in Nantong in the month of July, yes this is a small town but already I’ve had two paintings sold to patrons who first purchased a speed sketch and then purchased a painting from photo reference.

This painting was sold to a student in Nantongin July 2025. She asked me to paint from a photo reference. 

This was a painting done for a family in Nantong from photo reference. Completed in July 2025.

Sketch Series

This is an acrylic canvas self-portrait paintingcompleted this July 2025. 

Mural Series

It’s a example of an Indian restaurant in my hometown in Australia where I was commissioned to do the mural art based on what they asked.

It’s a dog painting for a mural of a restaurant wall also in my hometown done in 2023

A painting created in my hometown in the botanical gardens in the city area

A painting in my hometown created 2023 of the marina

Painting for a cafe in my hometown in 2023 mural artwork commission