Mike Francis

MIKE FRANCIS  British, 1938 - 2023

Whilst training to become an illustrator he studied at St Martins and Central School of Art, London. During that time he pursued his own artistic career, winning several prizes in prominent competitions. In 1960 he joined the Furneaux Gallery, London, where he had his first one-man show.

1972 brought Francis success when he won the National Gallery’s 150th-anniversary poster award - the only contemporary artist’s work to appear on a National Gallery poster.

From 1974 his work was shown at various exhibitions and art fairs in Paris, Basle, Cologne, Stockholm, Munich, Washington DC, New York and London.
Described as a realist, Francis’ work, although technically real, also conveys his dry sense of humour, adding a new dimension to familiar images, dreams and fantasies.

Private and public collections include:
Ace Publicity Shell
Bob Monkhouse
Chris Wright, UK
Jamaican Embassy
Pears collection
Prince Murat, Paris, France
Robbie Williams, UK
Urs Schwarzenbach