Born in Alghero, graduated in Modern Literature – history of theatre in Florence.
For 8 years I worked as critic, graphic designer/AD and illustrator for the magazine Hystrio.
From 1997 to 2005 I cured the Prize’s imagine of the International Balzan Foundation.
Since 2009 I’m one of founders and the manager director of Mimaster Illustrazione, Milan, Italy; since 2017 I cure the program of The Illustrators Survival Corner for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair; since 2018 for the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair; since 2019 the Survival Corner’s project goes to Moscow International Children’s Book Fair (Russia), Vilnius (Lithuania), Frankfurt Buchmesse, Sharjah Book Fair (Emirates), Irudika Festival (Basque region), Guadalajara Book Fair (Mexico), Montréal Book Fair (Canada)
I projected and wrote (with Giacomo Benelli), the Illustrated Survival Guides series, published by Corraini (The Illustrators Survival Guide, 2 editions 2018-2019, The Illustrated Survival Guide – editors & publishers, 2020, The Illustrated Survival Guide – translators, 2020) and in 2021 we created the format CATTIVI/VILLAINS exhibitions and catalogue (L’Affiche, 2021)
In 2021 I’ve designed, written and illustrated the book God Save the Queen, Centauria publisher.
My clients include:
as author and critic Gakken, Castermann, Coccole Books, Corraini, Salani, Centauria, La Repubblica, La Stampa, Storytel Italia, Bologna Children’s Book Fair, Il Libraio, scrivo.me
as illustrator for editorial Il Sole 24 Ore, L’Espresso, La Repubblica, La Stampa, Huffington Post Italia, L’Express, The Guardian Weekend magazine, The Wall Street Journal, L’OBS, The New York Times Book Review, The Boston Globe, Die Zeit, Audible, Storytel Italia, Yahoo.com, A+ Hong Kong, BenefitsPro, Chemical&Engineering, CNET, Courrier International, LatinFinance, Popshot, Babson, XPrize, ozy.com, Entrepreneur, Discoveries, Handelsblatt, InvestmentNews, Weekendavisen, Die Weltwoche, Der Pragmaticus, Capital, Arbiter, Wired Italia, La Nuova Sardegna, èStoria Festival
as illustrator for books and jackets Salani, Centauria, Feltrinelli, De Agostini (CIDEB-Black Cat, DeA Planet), Einaudi, Mondadori, Rizzoli, Corraini, SEM, LEG edizioni, Laterza, Officina Libraria, Lapis, Principi & Princìpi, Pearson, EL-Einaudi ragazzi, Gallmeister, Médecins sans Frontiéres, Altraeconomia.
Courses online:
Ricerca delle fonti: come comporre un ritratto, Domestika, 2021
Feltrinelli education, design courses for books and editorial 2022, 2023
Awards:
SOI 58 (2016) 59 (2017) 60 (2018) 61 (2019) 64 (2022) 65 (2023) 66 (2024)
3×3 Annual 13 (2016) 15 (2018) 16 (2019) 17 (2020) 18 (2021) 19 (2022) 20 (2023)
3×3 Magazine 23 issue (2020) 26 issue (2021)
American Illustration website 2008, 2017 – AI Book 38 (2019) 39 (2020) 40 (2021) 41 (2022) 43 (2024)
Communication Arts Award of Excellence, 2008
Creative Quarterly 50 online gallery (2018), 53 Journal (2018)
Exhibitions:
PrEgo (siete venuti per me?) – monographic, Bologna 2007, Alghero 2008.
Toilet Painting – collective permanent exhibition of Studio Bandalarga in Il Marchesino alla Scala, Gualtiero Marchesi’s restaurant, Milano 2009
The End of the world – collective exhibit at Ulrico Hoepli, Milano 2012
Cromosomaxx 2017 – collective exhibit in Moscow and social networks, 2017
Forever young – 15 artisti per 15 anni di Locus Festival, 2019
50th Golden Pen of Belgrade – 15th International Biennal of Illustration, Nov. 7-26 2019
God Save the Queen, mostra urbana diffusa a cura di Dall’Altra Parte del Mare, Alghero, 2022
Interviews and articles
Il Mondo invisibile (podcast)
Contact me here
rep. worldwide by Salzman International:
http://www.salzmanart.com/ivan-canu.html
for prints and limited editions: Galleria L’Affiche, Milan
https://affiche-fineart-shop.it/collections/ivan-canu
