Casanova
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Casanova is a self-taught artist and graphic designer from Beirut, Lebanon, known for his distinctive smiley face motif, signature noir style with dripping eyes, and bold pieces with black-and-white contrasts. His art features a mix of expression, characterized by graphic violence, nudity, profanity, slang, cartoons, interesting dialogue and references to popular culture.
Casanova's Origin Story
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Growing up, young Casanova was deeply influenced by cinema, cartoons, anime, video games, and character culture. These early inspirations are vividly reflected in many of his pieces, drawing from the cartoonish figures of his youth to create imaginative worlds filled with playful, nostalgic characters. His work taps into the emotional power of childhood memories, inviting viewers—both young and old—into a space where the past comes alive. From the early age of seven, Casanova began nurturing his natural talent for sketching and painting, experimenting with various mediums and techniques that continue to shape his artistic voice today.
Influences & Style
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Casanova’s artistic journey began by drawing inspiration from childhood favorites like Batman, Dragon Ball, Pokémon, and classic Nintendo characters, he reimagines these iconic worlds through a lens of playful nostalgia. His creative path began by sketching beloved characters from his youth, laying the foundation for a style that would evolve into something uniquely his own.
As his artistry matured, Casanova began crafting striking black-and-white portraits of legendary movie characters—heavily influenced by the gritty, cinematic worlds of directors like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Francis Ford Coppola. Films such as Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, and The Godfather left an enduring imprint on his visual storytelling and artistic direction.
Casanova’s exposure to graphic design, fashion, street art, and graffiti during his travels further expanded his creative perspective. These influences pushed him to explore diverse techniques and mixed media, adding new layers to his evolving aesthetic. Known for his bold, high-contrast “Noir” style, his work remains deeply connected to the raw, expressive energy of his early drawings—marked by scribbles, exaggerated forms, and unfiltered imagination.
Drawing on his background in graphic design, Casanova seamlessly blends dripping smiles, cinematic quotes, street slang, photography, and pop imagery—merging the worlds of film and visual art into a cohesive, emotionally charged visual language.
Facts
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The "Funny how?" scene from Goodfellas—inspired Casanova’s signature motif: the "Smiley Face Signature." This element, often paired with spontaneous splashes and drips, channels raw emotion and unpredictability, becoming a recurring hallmark of his work.
