Born in Parma, Italy, in 1984, Francesco Gianelli grew up in the lowlands of the River Po, where he developed a deep affinity for the region’s flat, somewhat gloomy landscapes. Blending these influences with references to blues, folk art, American photography, and skateboarding, Gianelli creates imagery in which ordinary, often marginal subjects possess a strange enigmatic power, as if they emanate a kind of magical glow.

Francesco Gianelli studied at Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. His work has been shown in group exhibitions in Italy and United States. He had his first solo show at One Trick Pony gallery in Los Angles in 2025.