Martina Francone: On Slowing Down & Romanticising the Mundane

In a city as vast as London, you’re sure to come across myriad creatives who dabble in more than one medium. Often we are pressed to fine-tune a specific skill set in a capitalistic world that cares more about commodifying the arts than experiencing them. Martina Francone is one of the artists paving multiple pathways at once, and walking them simultaneously. Proving that one can exist in their niche, and operate equally outside of it. Martina maintains intentionality within her practice, avoiding output’s pitfalls which may otherwise muddy her unique style.

Illustration and UX Design permeate her world. Her design journey began with a BSc in Design and Visual Communication. After her time at the Polytechnic University of Turin, she continued on to attain an MSc in UX design, indefinitely diversifying her craft and allowing an entirely new pathway for creation to open up. Martina now focuses on user-centred, accessible experiences – all the while highlighting behavioural design.

When it comes to her illustration practice, Martina steers toward “places and their stories”, where her work aims to “shift perspectives”. Capturing otherwise mundane features in our daily lives like armchairs or soon-to-begin-wilting bouquets of flowers, her artworks find continuous innovative avenues to sensationalise the average. You’ll find there’s an infusing whimsy between fungi growing out of hands, and hands where heads should be.

Regardless of medium, this linework focused, almost patchwork – collage style presents throughout. At the moment, she’s working with Sky to curate new innovative pathways in one of Europe’s most well-known media and entertainment companies. Martina is “dedicated to shaping the AdTech experience through creative design solutions”. Tracing back to the ways that one’s creative practice need not become pigeonholed in the face of supply and demand, this artist also enjoys crochet and climbing in her time outside of work.

I had the privilege of gaining a bit more perspective about Martina’s work. Read below to find out what it means to reimagine spaces otherwise overlooked, the importance of connecting to the physical process of creation, and what advice she’d give her younger self if only she knew what was on the horizon.

What do you hope your artworks provoke in the viewer?

Through my work, I aim to explore the human experience by focusing on the spaces we inhabit – particularly interiors – and the emotional weight they carry in our lives. I hope to encourage viewers to romanticise the everyday, to slow down and notice the beauty in small, often overlooked details. There’s something so interesting about ordinary objects and quiet corners, it feels like they hold memories. By placing these elements at the centre of my art, I want to highlight how our surroundings can become storytellers.

In a world that is becoming more and more fixated on automation/AI etc. why do you think slow-paced, by-hand artwork is so important?

While I move between digital and traditional illustration, there’s something grounding about creating art by hand – whether on paper, fabric, or canvas. The connection with the materials and the slower, more deliberate pace of the process help me feel fully present and immersed in the act of making. Traditional illustration offers the freedom to be spontaneous, to embrace imperfections, and to let the work evolve organically. In a fast-paced, automated world, I think hand-drawn artwork is an invitation to slow down.

What’s your go to coffee order & favourite coffee shop of all time?

On weekends, you’ll most likely find me drinking a cappuccino (it’s the Italian in me) in a cute café somewhere in East London, sketchbook in hand. Drawing from cafés has become a key part of my creative process – it’s where I often gather inspiration, observing spaces, people, and the little details that often find their way into my work. I couldn’t name just one favourite spot – I’m on a mission to constantly try new ones in my area because each one offers a different atmosphere, and something unexpected to capture.

Tell us about your most exciting project you’ve worked on?

I’ve found myself naturally drawn to editorial illustration, maybe because I’m passionate about books too. Over time, this has led me to collaborate on a number of book projects, and honestly, each one holds a special place in my heart.

There’s something magical about being handed someone’s story and being trusted to translate it visually. I love the process, receiving the manuscript, diving into the world of the characters, and interpreting it through my own lens while helping bring someone’s story to life.

Is there a specific song or album you find yourself gravitating towards at the moment?

Music, like all art forms, plays a huge role in shaping my creative world. Lately, I’ve been completely obsessed with Fine Anyway by Rogér Fakhr, a beautiful folk-rock album recorded in Lebanon during the 1970s, which is right up my alley.

I recently re-discovered the album because I’m going to see him perform live in London this May, which feels surreal, and I’m so ready to get inspired.

There’s something nostalgic and heartfelt about it.

If you could do anything you wanted, what would your “perfect Saturday” look like?

It would look a lot like how I already spend most of my weekends. I’d start by reading a book in the park, sitting under a tree, then spend some time finishing the jumper I’m currently knitting. I’d cycle along the canal, stop at a café to draw in my sketchbook, go climbing with my partner, and end the day at a live music gig with friends.

When you think about your artistic practice now versus when you started – what’s the biggest advice you would give yourself at the beginning of your career?

I would tell myself to trust and enjoy the process, to embrace the natural evolution of my work. To be spontaneous, experiment as much as possible, and let intuition guide me.

The art world can be both rewarding and challenging. It’s easy to get caught up in external expectations, but the most important thing is to always come back to why you create. For me, it still is a way to express what words can’t, capture moments, and to find peace in the process.