Antonio Franco Moresco, born in 1950 and currently based in Mestre, is an engineer whose artistic practice centers on wood sculpture. Drawing on decades of exploration through forests, river beds, and lakeshores across the Veneto region, Moresco collects branches and roots that he transforms into expressive sculptures marked by careful attention to form and proportion.
Process and Materials
Moresco’s sculptures emerge from a dialogue between the artist’s hand and the inherent forms of natural wood. Roots and branches gathered during long walks in mountain forests are smoothed and treated with precision, resulting in refined surfaces and harmonious lines. Works such as “Preghiera” (Prayer) and “Migrante con bambino” (Migrant with Child) demonstrate how found materials acquire symbolic resonance in his hands—suggesting a figure in prayer or the moving forms of two figures crossing. The resulting compositions transcend simple representation and appear to possess their own life.
Exhibition Record
Moresco’s work has been widely exhibited across Italy. Since 2016, he has participated in Fiera Arte Padova (2016, 2017, 2018) and shown in group exhibitions including “Luci sull’Arte” at Palazzo Papafava dei Carraresi in Padua (2016), “Evoluzione delle Correnti Artistiche nel XXI secolo” at Pinacoteca d’Arte moderna Le Porte in Naples (2017), “Realtà interiori” at Castel Nuovo in Naples (2018), and “L’Arte è Vita” at Galleria La Pigna in Rome (2018). In December 2017, his work was included in “International visions,” a group exhibition curated by Vittorio Sgarbi at D’E.M. Venice Art Gallery. Most recently, he participated in the “Mutazione” collective exhibition at Elle Galleria in Preganziol (2019).
Frequently asked questions
Where does Moresco find his materials?
He collects roots and branches from forests, river beds, and shores across the Veneto region during long exploratory walks.
What training does Moresco have?
He is an engineer by profession who developed his sculptural practice through direct engagement with natural environments.