the artist
Francesco Federighi, aka Frank, was Libero's caricaturist and is mainly the illustrator for the daily fact. He also collaborated with publishing and weekly houses such as Max, TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, L’Espresso, Ciak, Ephesus, Reflexes. His works have won prestigious prizes, including caricatures Syria, caricatures India, an honorable mention in "Caricatures in the XXIII Humor" in Gallarate, Milan, finally, in August 2019 Frank also wins in the World Humor Awards, the "Rino Montanari" special prize reserved for Italian carpetists.
Francesco Federighi was born in Lucca on September 30, 1973, graduated from the State Art School of Lucca in 1993, and since he was very young he has collaborated with publishing houses and prestigious weeklies such as Max, TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, Il Tirreno, L'Espresso who defines Mulatier's heir, a well-known French illustrator of the 1980s.
From 1996 to 1999 he created numerous portraits of prominent personalities for the weekly L’Espresso, published as page illustrations.
In 1997 he painted specifically for a magazine distributed by the State Railways called "Ephesus" and subsequently "reflections".
In 2000 he drew portraits of Big of the song for "TV Sorrisi e Canzoni", and later for "Superclassifica" attached to the same weekly.
From 2001 to 2003 he made portraits of movie stars for the monthly “Max” and “Max Turkey”.
From 2003 to 2006, he dedicated himself to perfecting the pencil technique, giving life to a series of portraits called "The children of time".
Subsequently he devoted himself full time to pictorial research and on November 3, 2009, Frank won the online vote award 2009 of the Celeste Prize with the work "San Francesco che contempla ... Francesco making us contemplate the boh ...". From 23 to 28 November the installation is exhibited at the Borroni Factory in Milan.
From 17 July to 1 August 2010, he ranks 3rd with the work "Gaza the horrors", a realist painting with the war in Gaza theme. The work is exhibited in a group exhibition at the former O.A.D. in via del Corso in Rome.
From 4th to 13th September 2010 he wins another painting contest “Patrizi e Plebei” in Rome.
In the meantime he becomes very close friends with Dino Carlesi from whom he is pushed to pursue the path already undertaken in painting, so much so that Federighi is invited to participate in the Venice Biennale, 54th International Art Exhibition, Italy Pavilion, from 04.06 to 27.11.2011, Arsenale Novissimo, Spazio Thetis, the title of the event is called “Under the skin, see inside, see beyond”.
In July 2011, Vittorio Sgarbi will curate a solo show in Peccioli at the Atrium of Palazzo Pretorio, entitled "Caravaggio Caravaggini and co." with critical notes by Vittorio Sgarbi, the exhibition will remain permanently.
From 23 May 2014 to 31 December 2015 he exhibits, On the occasion of the celebrations for the Deposition from the Cross painted in 1521 by Rosso Fiorentino at the "Rosso Vivo" exhibition, curated by Vittorio Sgarbi in Volterra, with a room entirely dedicated to his tribute to great Tuscan mannerist with the work "Daily Reflections" (4 m. H and 3 m. L.)
In the same year he participated in the Palermo Biennale, with the work "Politician" and won the special critical award from the Scientific Committee of Palermo.
In December 2015 he exhibited his works in Bologna at Palazzo Pepoli
Gavino Sanna, a well-known advertiser, used Federighi's work for an anti-smoking advertising campaign in several Italian magazines.
Mina Gregori, Italian art historian, academician of the Lincei (class of moral sciences), emeritus professor of History of Modern Art at the University of Florence, has in her private collection the work of Federighi "The call to redemption" clearly Caravaggesque style to whose work "The call of San Matteo", the painter was inspired, revisiting it in a modern key.
On 22 September 2017, the painting Act of bullying to Giovanni is exhibited at the MEAM, European Museum of Modern Art, in Barcelona, which is a contemporary reinterpretation of the great painting “The Beheading of John the Baptist”, by Michelangelo Merisi. The work of Francesco Federighi is in the permanent collection at the same museum.
For many years now, he has drawn caricatures of political figures, the world of the economy and celebrities in general for the newspapers "Libero", Il Fatto Quotidiano, TPI, L’Espresso and Piauì, a well-known Brazilian monthly.
In April 2022 Frank publishes his first book "Gianmario eat like a goat" the preface is by Marco Travaglio and the introduction is by Vittorio Feltri, there are interventions by Dario Ballantini and Guido De Maria famous for comics fans, a volume that explains what caricature is for Federighi and collects a really funny and irreverent roundup of many well-known faces that orbit between cinema, entertainment, politics, music and art, the book was presented by Gerry Scotti during an episode of Striscia la Notizie.
On October 15 there will be a solo exhibition of caricatures at the Athena Museum in Capannori (Lu) at 5.30 pm there will be the inauguration, the artist will be present and there will be fifty original pieces, free admission and the exhibition will last until three of November.
