Although a native of Italy, Franco Balan’s (October 30, 1934 – April 14, 2013) name and business exceeded international borders. He was a spokesperson for Aosta Valley and has been showing his work worldwide with solo exhibitions since the late ’70s.
An AGI member, Balan was an illustrator, painter, and graphic artist who received many accolades and awards during his prestigious career, which began in 1954 under the tutelage of Tomaszewski, Majewski, and Grabowski in Warsaw. In 1973, he won the national first prize for the poster for the 30th anniversary of the Resistance; In 1975 he won the first prize for the poster of the World Cup bobsleigh; in 1978 he was awarded the United Nations Prize for graphics; and in 1985, he returned to Warsaw for a series of lectures at the ‘Akademia Sztuk Pieknych. Balan then went on to create the logo for Espace Mont-Blanc and the posters for the XX Olympic Winter Games in Turin of 2006.
