‘Iron Giant,’ ‘Phineas And Ferb’ Vet Alan Bodner To Showcase His Work In Animayo Exhibition (EXCLUSIVE)

Animayo is set to host the world premiere of a new exhibition spotlighting veteran art director Alan Bodner, whose career spans some of the most recognizable titles in modern animation.

The exhibition, titled The Visual World of Alan Bodner, will debut at the Animayo Gran Canaria festival from May 6 to 9 in Las Palmas. The show brings together 46 pieces, combining original graphic work and multi-layered assemblage art that reflects Bodner’s dual career in television animation and personal fine art practice.

Bodner, an Emmy winner and five-time Annie Award nominee, has spent more than 25 years working across major studios, including Disney Television Animation, Warner Bros., DreamWorks, and Cartoon Network. His credits include generational projects such as The Iron Giant, Kim Possible, Phineas and Ferb, and Looney Tunes, positioning him as a key figure in contemporary animation art direction.

The Animayo exhibition traces both sides of that career. Alongside development work tied to studio productions, visitors will see Bodner’s independent artwork, which leans into surrealism, geometric abstraction, and narrative-driven compositions. The pieces range from high-quality digital prints to dimensional constructions that explore space and structure.

A defining feature of Bodner’s work is its visual economy. His compositions often rely on minimal elements to convey atmosphere and storytelling, reflecting a sensibility shaped by years in visual development for film and television. That approach carries over into his personal work, where stylized characters and theatrical compositions blend pop culture references with a more experimental, fine-art framework.

Although Bodner’s artwork has previously appeared in galleries and institutions across the United States, including the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, this marks the first time a full exhibition of this scale has been presented to the public.

The exhibition is part of Animayo’s 21st edition, running May 6 to 9, which continues to position itself as a hub connecting international animation talent with industry opportunities. It’s also Spain’s only dual-Academy Award qualifying animation event. The festival will feature more than 40 guests from studios including Pixar, Disney, and Skydance Animation, as well as masterclasses, panels, and recruitment sessions.

Bodner’s exhibition fits squarely within the festival’s mission to bridge industry and artistic practice. It highlights how production design experience can evolve into a distinct authorial voice beyond the screen, and, perhaps, the inverse, too.