Francis Sultana

Francis Sultana (born 1971) is a furniture and interior designer. He is regularly featured in the annual AD100 list compiled by Architectural Digest. The Times says he is "a furniture designer and decorating mastermind" and also mentions his famous clients. Financial Times How To Spend It magazine said "his baroque-meets-pop art style is making grand statements in an ever-widening circle of homes." Living Etc magazine describes Sultana's style as "luxurious, bespoke-driven and sumptuous. In 2018 Sultana was made Ambassador of Culture for Malta. He was named as one of the Top 20 Interior Designers by Wallpaper magazine in 2015 and Top 100 Interior Designers by House & Garden magazine.

Background

Sultana grew up on the island of Gozo, and gave an Insiders Guide to Malta to the Financial Times How To Spend It magazine in 2018 Malta: Interior Designer Francis Sultana's Favourite European Island. "As a child," explains W Magazine "a young Sultana would pour over copies of World of Interiors and House & Garden magazines" before he finally moved to London when he was 19. He began work at David Gill Gallery which he talks about in Elle Decor. He became the gallerist to Dame Zaha Hadid and created an exhibition celebrating her life and work at Masterpiece in 2016 which is described by London Evening Standard as "an exhibition to celebrate the other side of Zaha Hadid."

Career

In 2009 Galerie Magazine described how Sultana had moved from Fulham to open a new studio located in St James's. His annual collections of furniture are shown at prestigious venues such as Claridges in London Narmina Collection, Wallpaper. He was the only British-based designer to be invited to show at the AD Collections in Paris in 2017 held at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. 2019 is the tenth anniversary of the studio. A book will published by Vendome in Fall 2019 entitled "Francis Sultana Designs & Interiors".

Sultana currently sits on the board of MICAS the new contemporary art and design space for Malta due to open in 2021 and invited renowned artist and sculptor Ugo Rondinone to create a site specific piece which was launched in 2018 which was described by the Times of Malta as "a place for the people."

Philanthropy

Francis Sultana sat on the Board for Rebuilding Childhoods for the NSPCC for eight years and oversaw the Pop Art Ball, the Surrealist Ball and the Neo-Romantic Gala at Masterpiece. He currently sits on the International Council of the Victoria & Albert Museum for whom he chaired the Design Fund which supported the acquisition of contemporary design objects at the V&A from 2011 to 2015. The Fund has enabled the museum to purchase a number of notable objects by designers such as Joris Laarman, Fredrikson Stallard, Hella Jongerius and nendo. Sultana also sits on the International Council of the Design Museum and Serpentine Galleries, London. He is co-President of the board of the jury for Pavilion of Art and Design London and is a jury member of PAD Paris.