Along with his sister, he grew up indulging in the wonders of the imagination: whether it was playing an air guitar in make-believe concerts while pretending to be a member of “The Partridge Family”, or being transported to other worlds as he watched Kurosawa’s “Rashomon”, or trying to peel away the obvious and decipher the underlying metaphors in Melville’s “Moby Dick”. As Canu himself says, “I have a great curiosity about all things, and an interest in the interconnectedness of things.” It’s something that is evident in his work.Ĭanu inherited his love for the arts from his parents, who introduced both their children to the world of books, theater and movies. It was also a sign that from a very young age, he had a keen interest in the world around him. But the creation of the drawing itself and the book that he received, served as a foreshadowing of things to come, indicative of Canu’s love for literature and art alike. His prize was a volume of short stories by Leo Tolstoy, proof, perhaps, that the contest was aimed at adults and not children. Much to the delight of the Canu family, young Ivan’s rather cerebral take on the fuel crisis that plagued their hometown of Alghero in Sardinia, and indeed much of the world, won. The drawing-a mouse trying to fuel a car with water instead of gasoline-was entered by his mother in a contest run by a local magazine. It was at the tender age of four that Ivan Canu’s artistic skills first drew attention and acclaim.

Tapedeck doodle