Franco Donati (born in Rosario, Argentina) is the artist behind Artefacto Madrid.
His vision of beauty is rooted in Kitsch and Camp: he highlights the artificial, embraces excess, and builds surreal atmospheres that move between Rococo ornament and Pop iconography.
Most of his work begins with drawing, painting and digital collage. He works with traditional media such as watercolor, ink and oil, then refines everything digitally on tablet and computer to create highly detailed, high-color images.
Now based in Madrid, he spends time searching through markets, antique dealers and second-hand sellers for small, forgotten “treasures” of porcelain and glass. Back in his studio, he catalogs, restores and intervenes each found piece, applying his own imagery through a controlled high-temperature vitrification process. The result is a fusion between new saturated color and old European porcelain.
Every piece is handled personally, by hand, from start to finish — from sourcing the object to the final firing, packaging and shipment to the client.