BIOGRAPHY
Fran Romano uses the ceramic medium to explore themes of decay, loss, longing and nostalgia. Working intuitively, she builds a sense of history through layering on the clay’s surface. Using both found and handmade objects to create mixed-media installations, she draws on her Southern Italian heritage.
Her highly textured surfaces with blackened interiors reference the patina of age, and ask to be investigated more closely. Offering space for contemplation, her works explore interiors, both physical and metaphorical.
Drawing on her background in Social Work; she brings a unique perspective on making, the material of clay and the lessons it can teach us, to both her art practise and her teaching.
CV
Diploma of Art : Australian National University, School of Art (2013).
2023 Residency, C.R.E.T.A. Rome, Italy
2017 Residency, Skopelos Foundation for the Arts, Greece
2024 Finalist Nth Queensland Ceramic Award, Townsville, Australia
2023 Highly Commended, Art Edit Self-Represented Artist Award.
Finalist:
Little Things Art Prize (2018); Goulburn Art Award (2022).
Winner 3D Art: Foot Square Small Pieces Competition, Aspire Gallery, Brisbane, Queensland (2019)
STATEMENT
Inspired by memory, history and nostalgia, Fran loves to experiment with found materials, surface texture and layering.
In recent years, she has begun to explore death rites and rituals from both an archeological/historical perspective and a human one.
She aims to create a quiet, contemplative space for the viewer.
