Natalia Franco

Natalia Franco is the sculptor and creator of Goop World, an ever expanding realm of creatures and design. Her work cherishes the emotionality of our world, and seeks to find connection with all living things.

Being born and raised in Arkansas, she has found a belonging in the south. Bitter winters and sweltering summers come and go with every year, bringing immense gratitude to the fluttering moments of transition.

Throughout her life, Natalia finds herself guided by her imagination. World building and character design became hobbies early on, and transformed into passions following a high school ceramics class. Absurd and highly emotional creatures poured out of her, paving her way into college where she studied ceramics and sculpture, and into her art career.

Today, Natalia avidly continues her passion for creating creatures and connecting with the world around her. Her most recent work explores hope and resilience in the human world, and is featured in her solo exhibition New Heart, opening on July 10th at Mixd Gallery.

Artist Statement

Through intuition and devotion, a creature is born. Born into existence, just like us! I think this is the essence and beauty of sculpture- it really exists. I can’t help but ponder my presence and role here on Earth. Around me I am surrounded by creatures, human and non, each experiencing their own vast inner world and hoping for their chance to see another day. I see our natural world full of life as she speaks to us through her storms and glistening waters, just waiting for us to notice her.

My ideas for these distinctive figurative sculptures arrive from imaginative visions, exposing themself briefly to the forefront of my mind before vanishing as if they were never there. I get to work immediately, scribbling in my sketchbook and making a plan of action. As I work, each creature reveals themselves to me- guiding each and every movement of my hands. I create because I feel this sense of deep longing. A longing for this world that is slipping through my fingers- as I can only hope to capture it.