• A grey H within three green lines suggesting the letter E.
  • Recovering is written in gold and Voices is written in orange.
  • COLING is written in black with an orange speech bubble.

Welcome to Our new portfolio

Michele Cavaliere

Michele Cavaliere

I was born prematurely in a former concentration camp turned maternity hospital, on a summer morning in 1969 in Bolzano, northern Italy. I grew up quickly, becoming a hyperactive child who was difficult to contain. The only things that could keep me still and seated for a reasonable amount of time were paper and markers. I would spend hours and hours drawing, much to my mother’s relief.

I published my first humorous drawings at the age of 15, initially in local newspapers and later in Il Cuore, a weekly satirical magazine published in Italy between 1991 and 1996. Since then, my drawings have appeared in national newspapers, on television, in commercials, books, and art galleries. I also enjoy drawing in public, in live shows where I create large caricatures in a matter of minutes.

In addition to designing advertising campaigns for agencies, I prefer working on social projects where I can use my art to contribute to the community. I have conducted seminars on satire and the creation of Bookpages in universities, academies, and secondary and primary schools. My degree in International Political Science helps me understand the complex mechanisms that regulate society and political power.

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Word


As an Italian illustrator and satirical author based in Berlin, my artistic journey has spanned decades, with my work featured in newspapers, magazines, editorial projects, advertising, and TV programs since the late 1980s.

In the late 1990s, I pioneered an illustration format known as Bookpages in Milan, later honing this craft during a four-year stint in NYC. Described by some as “visual poetry” and by others as “graphic upcycling, Bookpages represent a unique intersection of text, interpretation, and image.

The creation of a Bookpage begins with selecting a page from any book, choosing a single word, and framing it. This word becomes the title of an illustration that is drawn directly onto the text and filled with transparent colors, ensuring the underlying words remain readable. This method allows for a creative dialogue between the text and the illustration, inviting viewers to explore the deeper connection between written and visual narratives. Bookpages range in size from the dimensions of a real book page to much larger canvases, such as the 1-meter by 2-meter pieces showcased in contemporary art galleries during several solo exhibitions.

The distinctive nature of Bookpages engages the curiosity of people of all ages, from children to adults and the elderly. This format can be applied to any type of text, be it literary, commercial, or instructional.

I also bring Bookpages to life through public live painting shows and by conducting creative workshops in primary and secondary schools, communication academies, and private settings.

Elio Fiorucci once captured the essence of my art with his words: “Michele, your Bookpages are the dynamic confirmation that useless books don’t exist.”

For the opening of the “Nombrar__” show, I will create a Bookpage based on the 1917 Constitution of Puebla. This piece will embody a dynamic synthesis of the multifaceted concepts of integration, exploring themes such as naming processes, social absorption, cultural dependence, and the mirror-image and inverse vision of shared realities.

Image taken by Alejandra Rajal
Image taken by Alejandra Rajal
Image taken by Alejandra Rajal
Image taken by Alejandra Rajal
Image taken by Alejandra Rajal
Image taken by Alejandra Rajal