Franz West: A Life of Playful Sculpture and Social Engagement Early Life and Artistic Beginnings: Franz West was born on February 16, 1947, in Vienna, Austria. His upbringing involved exposure to art through his mother, a dentist who frequently took him on trips to Italy. While he didn't formally study art until the age of 26 (1977-1983 at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna under Bruno Gironcoli), West began creating drawings around 1…