Iranian cartoonist wins second prize at Turkish competition

TEHRAN,June 24(MNA) -- Iranian artist Mojtaba Heidarpanah won the second prize at the 31st Aydin Dogan Cartoon Competition. Winners were announced during a ceremony in Ankara on June 18, the Hurriyet Daily News reported on Monday. Turkish cartoonist Kursat Zaman won first prize while third prize went to Polish cartoonist Krzysztof Grzondziel. In addition, 12 artists, including Farzaneh Vazifitabar, Sajjad Rafiei and Alireza Pakdel from Iran, received honorable mentions at the competition. An exhibition displaying works by the 15 finalists of the competition opened at the Milta Bodrum Marina Osmanli Tersanesi Kaymakamlik Art Gallery on June 17. Iranian cartoonist Dokhshid Ghodratipour was among the members of the selection committee, which was headed by Liza Donnelly, the celebrated U.S. cartoonist and writer for the New Yorker Magazine and Forbes. A total of 814 cartoonists from 70 countries submitted 2556 works to the competition this year. The selection committee evaluated 300 cartoons by 214 artists from 43 countries, which had already been chosen by the pre-selection committee. Another 12 artists have received Merit Awards from the jury, including Farzaneh Vazifitabar, Sajad Rafee and Alireza Pakdel from Iran.