The Sulfaro Family are proud to announce that Francesca Sulfaro, daughter of Managing Director Santo Sulfaro and Amelia Sulfaro, Sales and Marketing Manager, will this year be featured as an Exhibiting Student at the National Gallery of Victoria’s “Top Arts 2019 – 25 years at the NGV”.

This is a wonderful honour and the Sulfaro family are delighted to acknowledge Francesca’s achievement. The exhibition will be hosted at the Ian Potter Centre NGV Victoria. “The exhibition showcases young artists exploration of some of the greatest concerns of contemporary times and their creative celebration of humanity and the world”. The exhibition will run from the 22nd of March until the 14th of June 2019.

At Sulfaro, creativity, design and a fulsome understanding of colours, fabrics and their application has been a generational talent. Francesca’s grandmother, Francesca senior, has for many years worked with beautiful fabrics and materials to create the exquisite furniture that is Sulfaro today. There is a vision and a knowing that comes from the eye of a true artist.

Here is the NGV profile for Francesca – the student artist

Francesca Sulfaro
False Thrills – Moving Surrealism 2018

colour digital video, silent (looped)
© Francesca Sulfaro
Studio Arts
Genazzano FCJ College, Kew

Artist statement

The Moving Surrealism Photography series intends on capturing a moment in time with a twist. The series brings to life an element of the photograph and asks the audience to see the surrealism within the moving component. Moving imagery evokes emotion as does still photography. I wanted to generate a balance to showcase a binary of two media.

Materials and processes …

I began by taking photographs using my Canon 6D Mark II. I imported the images into Photoshop and manipulated them. This was exhausting at times as I had to erase, replace, edit and recolour certain aspects of the image in order to achieve the desired look. To apply the moving element, I used an application called Werble. This allowed me to import my still image and apply a moving element.

Starting points and influences …

I am most inspired by film. The way a cinematographer captures a moment within a single frame can be so perfect that it can affect my mood within seconds. Other times I can be inspired by a stroke of paint. Artist Callen Schaub manipulates beautiful paints in such a way that exudes a natural, organic placement of colour. The process by which he creates this exceptional artwork is called ‘painting trapeze’. This process is inspiring to me because it is so innovative and dynamic.

Favourite artist …

My favourite artist is the Belgian artist René Magritte (1898–1967). His artworks are so engaging and surreal that each viewer feels a different emotion upon inspection. His perception of the world was so wonderful and imaginative. Although his works can be considered bizarre, they appeal to me as they present a powerful paradox between reality and dreams due to his idiosyncratic approach to surrealism. My favourite work of his would be The lovers (1928) because it develops the concept of a festering lust that is hidden behind the purity of the white clothes draped over the figures’ faces. Magritte’s works evoke mystery and unsettling thoughts.

Future plans …

In 2019 I plan to study film and television and I hope to travel. I would like to carry my art with me through life. In 2019 filmmaking will play a large role as I would like to be part of the film industry, mostly behind the camera where I can manipulate a shot in such a way that it can evoke an emotional response in viewers.

Advice to future students

Take every opportunity that comes your way. Sometimes you are blinded by what you think could potentially be amazing however don’t leave any stone unturned. Always discover other avenues that you could possibly take because if you don’t, you could miss out on something extraordinary. Always listen to the advice of your teachers and others around you as they may see things that you miss because you are too close to the action. Lastly, don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is what leads you to success.

Source: ngv.vic.gov.au

The Sulfaro Collection is truly an ongoing work of art, a collection of style – the vibrancy and feel is like no other. You can view our full collection here.

And at Sulfaro we wholeheartedly encourage you to express your creativity. Choose the style of Sofa, Armchair or Occasional Chair you desire from our extensive collection. Choose a full lounge suite. Then with the help of our Design team select the fabric or leather you desire, piping, skirting, timber finish. At Sulfaro we can be as individual as you are.

Handcrafted, supremely comfortable – real luxury.

Call now on 9872 4608 and book a time with our experienced Design and Sales team. We are open 7 days per week from 10am to 4pm Mon-Sat and from 11am until 4pm on Sundays.

Located conveniently at 650-652 Whitehorse Rd Mitcham (Cnr of Cochrane St), our Showrooms are approximately 1km west of the EastLink exit ramps for Ringwood.

We look forward to seeing you. And remember, when you choose Sulfaro, you’re choosing the very best.

Sulfaro – Genuine European Styling and Design