What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
My illustration work often involves drawing book covers. Recently, I’ve been collaborating with publishing houses and private clients to visually interpret stories and create narrative illustrations on book covers.
Alongside commissions, I always make space for personal projects. At the moment, I’ve been designing and illustrating a playing card deck, as well as turning some of my sketchbooks into small zines, as a way of giving a second life to some of my more exploratory work.
What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
To have fun! I’ve been drawing every single day for years, and sometimes I need to consciously remind myself to return to experimenting and play. Letting go of expectations or outcomes, and allowing imagination to run freely, can be essential at times to create the most honest results.
What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
Drawing book covers is both an incredible opportunity and a responsibility: it’s about telling a story through illustration and visually representing someone else’s narrative. I love reading and doing research in order to capture the essence of a story.
In my personal work, I’m still telling stories, but in a quieter, more open-ended way. I’m particularly interested in the concept of home, interior spaces, and the meanings they carry in our lives. My sketchbooks are filled with places—real and imagined—that present a narrative without showing the characters. I like the idea that viewers can create their own stories.
Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
Film, music, and books are among my biggest sources of inspiration. I like to constantly surround myself with art in all its forms. Recently, I’ve been inspired by the book The World According to Colour by James Fox, which explores how colour shapes our perception. It resonated strongly with my use of colour, especially blue.
Two films that visually inspired me recently are Tampopo by Juzo Itami (1985) and Hamnet by Chloé Zhao (2025). The first for its playful approach to storytelling, and the second for its sensitivity and the way spaces and emotions go hand in hand.
What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
Balancing time. Working as a designer during the day and as an illustrator in the evenings and on weekends, it can be challenging to find space for personal projects. I’m constantly thinking of new ideas and projects, so the real difficulty is being patient and giving each idea the time it deserves.
What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
One of my favourite spots is Campania, in Bethnal Green, East London. Being from Italy myself, it feels a bit like home. I’d recommend ordering a few plates to share, with a glass of red wine.
If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
The title would be something like Rooms Filled with Light—a film about spaces and interiors, where drawings come to life within them. The soundtrack would be 70s-inspired, with songs by Nick Drake, Brian Eno or Carole King.
¿Has colaborado recientemente con estudios, laboratorios o talleres, o te gustaría hacerlo en el futuro?
Recently, I’ve been collaborating mainly with publishing houses on book covers. In the future, I’d love to expand my practice further into film and music. Both are huge inspirations for my work, visually and emotionally.
Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
One of the biggest influences on my work is Egon Schiele, who is almost my favourite illustrator. I love his sketches and the intensity of his simple lines.
Among contemporary artists, I really admire illustrators like Bijou Karman and Eniko Katalin Eged. Bijou Karman’s work inspires me with its warm colour palettes and its 70s influence, which feels fun and nostalgic. What I love about Enikő’s work, on the other hand, is its unique folk-inspired style, as well as the recurring animals and patterns.
Martina Francone is an illustrator and designer based in London, originally from Italy, with stops in Sweden and Denmark along the way. Her work focuses on narrative illustration for book covers and editorial projects, and occasionally extends to film and music.