Buenos Aires origins
Ricardo Siri was born in Buenos Aires in 1973 and became known by his middle name, Liniers, developing an artistic voice rooted in Argentine humor, literature, childhood memory, and spontaneous drawing.
Artist biography
Liniers / Ricardo Siri
Liniers is the artistic name of Ricardo Siri, an Argentine cartoonist, illustrator, and author from Buenos Aires whose work turns humor, imagination, and tenderness into a universal language.
Who he is
A storyteller of small wonders.
Liniers began by making fanzines and drawing outside the traditional fine-art path, eventually finding a daily rhythm in newspaper comics. His work is instantly recognizable: loose lines, gentle absurdity, literary references, childhood curiosity, animals with interior lives, and moments where the ordinary becomes magical.
His best-known creation is Macanudo, published daily in Argentina’s La Nación since 2002. Unlike a conventional gag strip with one fixed cast, Macanudo moves freely between recurring characters, one-off jokes, visual poems, quiet meditations, and scenes that feel like miniature illustrated stories.
That combination of intimacy and imagination is why his work travels so well across languages. Readers who discover Liniers often recognize a rare tone: playful but not trivial, emotional but never sentimental, childlike but deeply intelligent.
Macanudo
Since 2002, his daily strip Macanudo has appeared in La Nación, building a universe of recurring characters, absurd humor, quiet tenderness, and philosophical miniature stories.
International reach
Macanudo has traveled through books, translations, and syndication beyond Argentina, including publication in Spain and English-language distribution in the United States.
Books and recognition
His children’s books and graphic works have earned international recognition, including Eisner Award attention, and have introduced younger readers to his poetic visual language.
Why he matters here
His visual world gives the Messi artwork its emotional language.
In this work, Liniers’ line creates the imaginative foundation: characters, movement, humor, and warmth. Leo Messi’s contribution to the canvas turns that world into a singular philanthropic artifact, while supporters can hold commemorative fragments connected to the story.
Explore the artworkA living cast of characters
Across Macanudo and his books, Liniers has built a universe known for tenderness, wit, and surprise.
EnriquetaFelliniOlgaThe mysterious man in blackPenguinsMonsters who are more tender than frightening