Luis Scafati

By LatAm ARTE

Luis Scafati (born November 24, 1947, in Mendoza, Argentina) is a celebrated Argentine illustrator, cartoonist, and sculptor. He began drawing as a child, inspired by comic books and humor magazines—publishing his first work under the pseudonym "Fati" at the age of 17. He studied fine arts at the National University of Cuyo before being forced to relocate to Buenos Aires during the 1976 military dictatorship. Scafati developed an eclectic and versatile style, experimenting with ink, pencil, charcoal, watercolor, tempera, pastel, and collage. He delved into various printmaking techniques, including silkscreen, etching, and lithography. Known for his illustrations of literary classics such as Don Quixote , The Metamorphosis , The Scarlet Plague , The Adventures of Arthur Gordon Pym , and Argentine cultural icons like Martín Fierro , his artwork has found its place in numerous international exhibitions. His published works include Tinta China , Mambo Urbano , El Tren Fantasma , and two volumes of erotic drawings. Over decades, Scafati’s drawings, paintings, and sculptures have been exhibited in Argentina, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Bulgaria, Switzerland, the UK, Japan, and beyond. In 1981, he received the Grand Prize of Honor in the National Drawing Salon—the highest accolade for Argentine draftsmen. In 2003, he created a mural at the Teatro Independencia in Mendoza and was declared an Illustrious Citizen of the city. In 2012, Scafati was honored with a Konex Award as one of Argentina’s top five illustrators of the decade and received a Doctor Honoris Causa from his alma mater. His career spans contributions to leading publications and continuous creative exploration, both autobiographical and satirical.