Marilena Nardi turns graphic humour into a tool of resistance, critique and social awareness.

The title of the show – which could be translated as stubbornly obstinate – speaks of an attitude to life: the need to persist, not to stay silent and to keep drawing even in the face of the contradictions, inequalities and abuses of our time. An obstinacy that, far from being rigidity, becomes commitment.

Vachement obstinée or the power of satire

Nardi's work combines irony, visual intelligence and great narrative ability. Her illustrations speak directly to the viewer with an apparently simple language, yet loaded with symbolism and critique. Through human figures, anthropomorphic animals and pointed visual metaphors, the artist focuses on issues such as power, violence, gender inequality, democratic fragility and contemporary dehumanisation.

Her outlook connects with the tradition of European satire, but also with a deeply contemporary sensibility: the need to stand firm in a world saturated with information, speed and simplifying discourse. In this sense, Nardi's “obstinacy” is closer to critical perseverance than to sterile stubbornness.

Kap’s (Jaume Capdevila) article about the exhibition in the cultural weekly «Núvol» highlights exactly this idea: obstinacy as a form of necessary resistance. An attitude that means continuing to question, continuing to observe and continuing to create, even when the context invites fatigue or indifference. Humour, in Nardi’s hands, is not escapism; it is a way of thinking. And also a way of surviving.

Left to right: Ant, JC Valén, Leo Rodríguez; P. Espinosa, D. Pugliesse, J. Cichero (and son), M. Nardi, A. Arroyo, Feggo, RG Baselga and Kap
Left to right: Ant, JC Valén, Leo Rodríguez; P. Espinosa, D. Pugliesse, J. Cichero (and son), M. Nardi, A. Arroyo, Feggo, RG Baselga and Kap

Marilena was invited to give a masterclass on the Master’s in Media, Communication and Culture at UAB, as part of the Digital Narratives and New Formats course, titled «Editorial drawing, between satire and journalism», held on 21 April.

About Marilena Nardi

Marilena Nardi is a caricaturist, illustrator and lecturer at the Venice Academy of Fine Arts. She has collaborated with numerous periodicals, such as Diario, Corriere della Sera, L’Antitempo, Il Fatto Quotidiano, Siné Madame, Siné Mensuel. She collaborates with Erbacce, Left, Espoir and, occasionally, with Courrier International and Le Monde. Since 15 September 2020, she has been a regular contributor to the Italian newspaper Domani. She has been recognised internationally and awarded at numerous caricature and illustration festivals,

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