François Lafranca

François Lafranca grew up in Valle Maggia and studied for a year at the School of Applied Arts in Biel in 1958.

After returning to Valle Maggia in 1961, he worked as a painter and sculptor and founded his first studio for hand printing techniques at the age of 22, where he worked with artists such as Marcel Wyss, Jean Arp, Piero Dorazio, Enrico Castellani, Ben Nicholson, Mark Tobey and Arturo Bonfanti.

In 1964 he met his first wife, Hedda Lafranca. Together they founded Editions Lafranca (1965-1989). In 1973, Lafranca converted an abandoned sawmill in Cerentino into a paper mill, sculpture workshop and graphic design studio. François Lafranca’s work consists of sculptures, engravings, watercolours and photographs.