Viva Cavandoli! La Linea – Osvaldo Cavandoli Tribute Exhibition in Italy

In spring 2015, I had the honor of contributing to “La Linea – Viva Cavandoli”, a major exhibition at the Musil Museum of Industry and Work in Rodengo Saiano, Brescia (Italy). The exhibition ran from April 10 to June 2, 2015 and paid tribute to the brilliant Italian cartoonist Osvaldo Cavandoli, creator of the iconic animated character La Linea.

Viva Cavandoli! brought together more than 100 illustrators, animators, and cartoonists from around the world, each creating a personal homage to Cavandoli’s unique humor and timeless line-art style. My work was included in both the exhibition and the official Tribute Book.

My Tribute Illustration

For my contribution, I drew La Linea in an imagined scene on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. He appears arm-in-arm with a glamorous Italian starlet, proudly holding the Palme d’Or. On the other side, a paparazzo – styled with more than a hint of Marcello Mastroianni – captures the moment with vintage flash cameras. All in a black and white, classic comic book or fumetti style with halftone-shading. It’s my playful way of blending Cavandoli’s minimal line art with classic Italian cinema and pop culture (that I love).

Participating in Viva Cavandoli was not just about drawing a tribute — it was about honoring a cartoonist whose deceptively simple lines influenced generations of artists, animators, and illustrators. Cavandoli’s work demonstrated the power of minimalism: a single line, endlessly inventive, full of humor and humanity.

About Osvaldo Cavandoli and La Linea

Osvaldo Cavandoli (1920–2007) was an Italian cartoonist and animator best known for creating La Linea, the instantly recognizable character who lives entirely within a continuous line. First appearing in the 1970s, La Linea became an international phenomenon thanks to Cavandoli’s brilliant ability to evoke humor and emotion with minimal strokes.

The exhibition Viva Cavandoli celebrated this legacy with contributions from contemporary artists around the world — each of us reimagining La Linea in new settings, from pop culture mashups to surrealist homages. Being included in this lineup was a true honor.

More Editorial and Tribute Illustrations

If you enjoyed this project, you can discover more of my editorial illustations, cartoons and comics and more… . I specialize in cartoons, caricature, satire, and visual storytelling for international clients, from magazines and book publishers to cultural institutions and corporate campaigns.