🫒 Amid the scent of olives and the magic of pen strokes, the jury of the 14th International Cartoon Contest, held as part of the 24th International Olive Festival in Kyrenia, Cyprus, officially announced the winning works in the "Olive" section, dedicated to exploring the symbolic power of the olive tree as a universal icon of peace, life, and identity.
This year’s entries were rich in creative energy and visual metaphor, as artists from across the globe transformed the olive tree into a poignant emblem of human concerns, ranging from war and peace to roots, belonging, nature, and memory.
The contest received 673 artworks from 45 countries, evaluated by an international jury that convened in Kyrenia in June, 3 top winners were selected along with a number of special prizes, the selected works stood out for their striking simplicity and ability to convey profound meaning using only black lines on a white background, reflecting the contest's return to the very essence of cartoon art .. concept and line.
The Winners:
🥇 First Prize: Yu Kimura - Japan
🥈 Second Prize: Nikola Listes - Croatia
🥉 Third Prize: Louisa Hedayati - Iran
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "First Prize: Yu Kimura - Japan") |
| First Prize: Yu Kimura - Japan |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Second Prize: Nikola Listes - Croatia") |
| Second Prize: Nikola Listes - Croatia |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Third Prize: Louisa Hedayati - Iran") |
| Third Prize: Louisa Hedayati - Iran |
Special Prizes:
🏅 Mikhail Zlatkovsky - Russia
🏅 Oleg Derhachov - France
🏅 Spiro Radulovic - Serbia
🏅 Valentin Georgiev - Bulgaria
🏅 Farid Amirsardari - Iran
🏅 Shirin Gholipou - Iran
🏅 Mustafa Kurmalı - Turkey
🏅 Ronaldo Cunha Dias - Brazil
🏅 Gerald Peigneux - France
🏅 Tommy Thomdean - Indonesia
🏅 Pavel Constantin - Romania
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Mikhail Zlatkovsky - Russia") |
| Mikhail Zlatkovsky - Russia |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Oleg Derhachov - France") |
| Oleg Derhachov - France |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Spiro Radulovic - Serbia") |
| Spiro Radulovic - Serbia |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Valentin Georgiev - Bulgaria") |
| Valentin Georgiev - Bulgaria |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Farid Amirsardari - Iran") |
| Farid Amirsardari - Iran |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Shirin Gholipou - Iran") |
| Shirin Gholipou - Iran |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Mustafa Kurmali - Turkey") |
| Mustafa Kurmali - Turkey |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Ronaldo Cunha Dias - Brazil") |
| Ronaldo Cunha Dias - Brazil |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Gerald Peigneux - France") |
| Gerald Peigneux - France |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Tommy Thomdean - Indonesia") |
| Tommy Thomdean - Indonesia |
%202025%20ZEY.jpg "Pavel Constantin - Romania") |
| Pavel Constantin - Romania |
The
winning and selected works will be exhibited during the Olive Festival
and published in a commemorative album that captures this unique visual
journey offered by the cartoonists of the world.