Francesca Busca is an Eco‑artivist by philosophy, a Trashure© Artist by identity, and a Waste Mosaicist by technique. Since 2017 she has developed a highly specialised form of waste‑based mosaic—an uncommon, materially demanding practice that has gained growing international visibility. Transforming discarded materials into intricate “trashure,” she works at the intersection of art, activism, and environmental urgency. Her practice is driven by a deep conviction that society must shift from an anthropocentric model to one centred on the common good of the whole living system. Through her work, she explores how art can help reframe value, inspire empathy, and support the systemic change she believes is essential. Her eco‑artivism extends into daily life through veganism, renewable energy, second‑hand living, and ethical material limitations, forming a holistic Gesamtkunstwerk. Through Payment in Kind(ness)© and ArtforTrash©, she also reimagines alternative models for how art can function in society.
Art has been present throughout her life, from selling childhood drawings and collecting candle wax to sketching medieval scenes and modelling clay while practising law. Though she studied and practised Law in Italy, England, France, and New York, a transformative encounter with the mosaics of Aquileia led her back to her true path. She graduated with distinction in Mosaic and Fine Arts from the London School of Mosaic in 2019 and lectured there in 2021–22.
Her practice is rooted in pioneering initiatives and collaborative work. She founded Payment in Kind(ness)©, ArtforTrash©, and GREENψ bastARTs, and runs pro bono eco‑awareness projects with schools, NGOs, and organisations. She has collaborated with Living Streets, Salon Sustainability, Fernando Montaño, and the Camden Clean Air Initiative (Earthfest 2024 & 2025). Her longest collaboration, A Breath of Fresh Air with the London International Gallery of Children’s Art, involved five schools in London and Delhi and culminated in an exhibition at the Nehru Centre in Mayfair.
During the 2020 lockdown she joined the Getty Challenge, with four recreations published in the Getty Museum’s Off the Walls book. She also creates layered photographic narratives and gives talks to art professionals, corporate audiences, schools, and institutions.
Her recent trajectory includes residencies with CNR‑ISMAR Venice, HAUS A REST London, and Insights of an Eco Artist, followed by a multi‑year collaboration with CNR‑ISMAR after her residency at the Venice Boat Show 2024. In 2025 she taught eco‑artivism at the Italian School in London (SIAL) and began collaborating with the London Transport Museum. She is artist‑in‑residence at Haus A Rest, developing video tutorials on waste mosaic techniques, and collaborates with the University of Birmingham Business School on nature‑based valuation, with an article forthcoming.
She contributes regularly to Person and Planet (USA) and Blognotes (Italy), and is part of Project One Wave, which unites Scotland’s leading ocean conservation groups, creatives, businesses, and policymakers for marine debris cleanup in partnership with the Captain Paul Watson Foundation UK. She is a member of IOAEA, ActforEaling, BAMM, ArtCan, VAA, and Mensa.
In 2025 she received the Visual Art Open Art Educator Award. Her work is permanently displayed at six venues across the UK and Italy, including Venice’s CNR‑ISMAR and locations in London, Southampton, and Scotland. She has exhibited internationally, with five solo exhibitions and participation in Aqua Miami, EuropArtFair Amsterdam, and Salon Comparaisons at the Grand Palais Paris. Her work has been reviewed by Anthony Fawcett and Tabish Khan and collected internationally.
She is currently developing KINDFIRE, a 10‑day eco‑artivist exhibition for London Climate Action Week 2026 at The Building Centre, addressing six environmental urgencies through art, workshops, and expert panels. Solo exhibitions and collaborations across London and Europe are planned well into 2027.
