
Francisco Cortés is a Mexican visual artist and 3D designer based in London, UK. Across both art and design, his practice circles a single question: what does it mean to inhabit a space? Whether that space is a room, the body, the mind, a poem, or a song.
He trained first as an industrial designer in Mexico, with an international exchange in Melbourne, Australia. He went on to earn a postgraduate diploma in illustration at the Academia de San Carlos (UNAM) and an MA in Illustration and Visual Media with Distinction from the University of the Arts London, where his practice took shape around the concept of inhabiting, followed by further training in spatial design at the Royal College of Art.
Over 15 years, he has built an international career in experiential design, retail, and exhibition spaces, shaping environments and 3D worlds for studios in Copenhagen, Berlin, Sydney, Seoul, and London, and for brands including IKEA's SPACE10, Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Swarovski.
Alongside his studio practice, Francisco teaches and lectures. He has been an invited lecturer at the University of the Arts London, where he presented a lecture and workshop on inhabiting as research and practice. He has also taught 3D design at CENTRO University in Mexico City and on Domestika.
A trained classical pianist, he weaves music into his work, where black and white become piano keys, and rhythm becomes composition, bringing visual art, spatial design, and sound into a single cross-disciplinary language.
AWARDS
Hisense x VIDAA Art Competition. 1st Prize. 2026
17th Ibero-American Catalogue of Illustrations. Official Selection. 2026
World Illustration Awards. Longlisted. Exploration Category. 2026
Motion Design Awards. Video of the Day (Team CLIM STUDIO). 2024
University of the Arts London. International Postgraduate Scholarship. 2023
Fonca-Conahcyt, Mexico. Scholarships Abroad AFPE. 2023.
FWA of the Day. Coca-Cola: Dreamworld AR | Tomorrowland (UNIT9). 2022
Domestika. Top 10: Best Projects of May. The Poet's House. 2018.
Secretary of Culture Mexico. XXVII Catalog of Illustrators. 2017.
Educal. Winner of the Illustration Contest Day of the Book. 2017.
Reason Play. Outdoor Children’s Playground Design. 2nd Place. 2012.
exhibitions
FIL Guadalajara. 17th Ibero-American Catalogue of Illustration. Mexico. 2026
180 Studios. War Child presents Secret 7". London UK. 2026
Embassy of Mexico in the UK. ¡Viva Frida! Collective. 2026
Flat White Soho. Dream Reality. London UK. 2026
Dolby Studios. Hisense x VIDAA Art Competition. London UK. 2026
Embassy of Mexico in the UK. Day of the Dead. 2025
UAL Central Saint Martins. Moveable Fest. London UK. 2024
UAL London College of Communication. WIP Exhibition. London UK. 2024
Gallery Klyuch. Moveable Fest. Tokio Japan. 2024
LOOT. 7 Illustrators, 7 Photographers. Mexico. 2023
EDUCAL. JJ Arreola Bestiary. Mexico. 2018
CCEMX. XXVII Catalogue of Illustrators. Mexico. 2018
Bicentennial Park. XXVII Catalogue of Illustrators. Mexico. 2018
Faculty of Arts and Design. Human Figure Drawing. Mexico. 2016
Franz Mayer Museum. Industrial Design Projects. Mexico. 2009
interviews & features
University of the Arts London | Meet: Francisco Cortés
University of the Arts London | Where could UAL take you?
MINUS 37 | The Poetry of 3D Illustration
Domestika Live | Lights, Shadows, and Storytelling in 3D
University of the Arts London | Student Voices MAIVM
Inspiration Grid | Typographic Music
IBERO | Forum The Value of Design
Universidad de Boyacá | INDICREA Forum
Society 6 | Now on view: Francisco Cortés
Langweile Dich | Alphabet als Musikinstrumente
DOMESTIKA | Top 10: Best Projects