Vincent Frano (b. 1987) - he/they/she
is a third-gender, autistic artist born between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Potomac River. They currently live and work in the Connecticut River Valley on unceded Pocomtuck lands. Frano holds a bachelor's degree in Sustainable Horticulture from The University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a certificate in Illustration from The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
They have exhibited in solo exhibitions at Anchor House of Artists, Northampton, MA and at The Emily Dickinson Museum, Amherst, MA. Their group exhibitions include ‘Engendered’ at Atlantic Works Gallery, Boston, MA and ‘Artists in the Arboretum’ at The Arnold Arboretum, Boston, MA. Frano’s work has also been featured in publications such as Edible Pioneer Valley, in public art projects sponsored by The Town of Amherst, and public performances in Amherst, MA.
Vincent Frano is also co-founder and lead illustrator for Small Victories’ line of plantable stationery (formerly The Bower Studio).
Vincent is a member artist of Anchor House of Artists in Northampton, MA. A selection of their works are part of the museum’s permanent collection.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
We identify as multiple, a collective being who shares a body between several individuals. While we work under a single name, our art is a collaborative effort between Vincent and three other individuals within this shared body. Our art comes into being through a process of co-creation with the unseen; blurring the lines between artistic expression and spiritual practice. Our art practice is multidisciplinary, focusing primarily on painting with handmade paints, mask making, and performance. We weave together concepts of ancestral veneration, animism, and identity into autobiographical contemplations on mental illness and the human experience. Research, autodidactic exploration of materials, and spiritually guided ritual provide the framework for our artistic practice. We utilise experimental techniques, antiquated mediums, and laborious processes to interlace such connections through our work. In drawing from the deep wells of the past and unseen worlds we are able to conceive of empowering narratives centering marginalized identities for an unknowable future.