Born in California in 1923. He began drawing while hospitalized following a pilot drill during the Second World War. His works are in the style of Art Informel and abstract expressionism. FRANCIS first came to Japan during a trip around the world in 1957. Following this, the influence of Japanese art can be seen in the composition of his works making use of the margins and bleeding.

FRANCIS established ateliers in NY, Paris, Tokyo, etc; he visited Japan often and had relationships with cultural icons like Sofu TESHIGAHARA, Kenzaburo OE, Makoto OOKA, and Fujio KOYAMA. The Idemitsu Museum in Tokyo houses a large collection of his works. FRANCIS passed away in 1994.