British painter Archie Franks was born in 1983. He lives and works in London. His works explore familiar cultural motifs such the fairground, puddings and football. Memory, decadence, and a heightened sense of unreality permeate his imagery, often revealing the haunting undertones that nostalgia can evoke.
Frank's inspirations include the atmospheric lighting in Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s paintings, modern advertisements for food, and Caravaggio’s still lives. His often, seemingly light, subject matter belies a sense of foreboding. Stormy skies above a fairground ride, and ghostly cricket players in their whites
Franks holds his post graduate diploma, The Royal Academy Schools, 2012, and a First-Class BA, Honours, City & Guilds London Art School, 2009. The artist is the recipient of various awards and honours including the Jerwood Painting Fellowship, 2016, the Sainsbury Scholarship in Painting, The British School at Rome 2013; Tooth Award 2012; Gordon Luton Award 2012; Richard Ford Award, 2011; and the Philip T Ribbon Award, 2011.
He has exhibited in numerous group and solo shows both in the UK and in Europe, including 'Bloomberg New Contemporaries', 2013 as well as having contributed articles to publications 'Garageland' and 'Arty'. His work has been positively reviewed in 'Time Out', 'Critic’s choice in the Financial Times', 'Art Monthly', 'This is Tomorrow' and 'Fad magazine' amongst others. In 2025 he was selected for the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Other recent ventures and exhibitions include launching new prints at the 2025 Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair and exhibiting in the 2025 Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy.
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