Exhibitions

O-SEKOER is the artistic name under which – because of his excellent creative work – he deservedly became famous throughout the world. It is a phonetic transcription of the French word “Au Secours”, which means “Help”.

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Luc Descheemaeker – well known under his artistic name O-SEKOER – was born on 2^nd October 1955 in the little village Kuurne in Belgium. He grew up in Bavikhove and began drawing very early. Currently, he is teaching Art and Media in the Institute of Saint-Joseph in Torhout.

As regards his creative work he is concentrated mainly on making cartoons and humorphotographs. Luc Descheemaeker does not publish in newspapers or weeklies, nor does he do political cartoons. He draws mainly for international cartoon festivals and annually submits his work to some 30 major exhibitions worldwide. During his career of more than 35 years, he is able to present a large List of Achievements – his artworks were awarded about 190 prestigious international prizes from the most widely differing festivals as far as Japan, Bulgaria, Brazil, Iran, Turkey, South Korea, Cuba, Spain, …

He published several his own cartoon books „Hersenschimmen“ in 1983, „De Katte Loog“ (The Cat Lye) in 1988 and „O-SEKOER cartoons“ in 1998 (the book was published on the occasion of the “100 O-Sekoer Cartoon Awards” exhibition in his honour).

He is a master also in humor photo of a rare quality, for which he received several awards including the Golden Lens, the first prize at the Knokke-Heist International Photo Festival and the Golden Tulip. In 1990, in recognition of his merits, Luc Descheemaeker was awarded the ‘Mejor Trezo’ – Best Pen Stroke prize in Colombia.

Renowned Spanish journalist Francisco Punal Suarez wrote about O-SEKOER‘s artworks: „With the photos, the viewer hesitates between reality and staging. Made with great care, which feature films, the result is unquestionable, and they look like cartoons photographed. In most of them there is a touch surreal. With his photos, the artist achieves a subtle balance between content and form, highlighting the conflicting emotions of being human, and exerts social criticism“.

As says about his creative work the artist himself: „The message of my humorous photographsis direct. The public should look in the mirror of life. To realize them I have the support of friends and family. My mood looking want people smile and exercise your mind.“ O-SEKOER toys around with socially critical themes and draws modern-day man in all his trivial and more soul searching depths.

In the „Umoristica a Marostica 1998“ cartoon book, Pierro Zanotto (Italy) described O-SEKOER ‘s experimental graphic art style asan example of great artistic value. The Cartoon museums and Humour archives all over the world stock selections from this artist.

Luc Descheemaeker has also founded an amateur puppet theater in Torhout – in which he acts as a director and scenographer. Since 2000 active volunteer and founder of ‘Banglabar’i, a Flemish fundraising project to help the poor people in Bangladesh. He participates in the activities of the NGO Damien Foundation in Bangladesh, in the construction of a hospital for lepers and tuberculosis.

Luc Descheemaeker alias O-SEKOER is living and working in Torhout, Belgium.

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CARTOON ALBUMS:

• “Hersenschimmen”, 1983
• “De Katte Loog”, 1988
• “O-SEKOER CARTOONS”, 1998

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AWARDS AND HONOURS:

2014 (199)

• United Nations/Ranan Lurie Political Cartoon Award New York (USA) 2nd prize
• XII INT’l Cartoon Contest Kapik Niemodlin (Polska), Honorable Mention
• International Cartoon Contest La Sonrisa Moche Trujillo (Peru), 1st Prize
• International Cartoon Exhibition Hymettus Athene (Greece), 3rd Prize
• International de Caricatura y Humor Grafico Noticartun (Colombia), Mencion
• II International Cartoon Contest Tallin (Estonia), Honorable Mention
• Dieter Burkamp Preis für Karikatur Oerlinghausen (Germany), Ehrenvolle Erwähnung
• 10th Fair Play Int’l Cartoon Competition (Turkey), plaque of Achievement
• Humorest Hradec Kralové, (Czech Republic), 2nd prize
• 6th Cyprus International Cartoon Contest, Special Prize of Excellence
• 42nd World Gallery of Cartoons Skopje (Macedonia), Special Award
  
• Don Quichote International Exhibition, ‘Illegal Immigration’, mention
• New Izvestia Cartoon Contest, Moskow (Russia), 3rd Prize
• UCCEP Environmental Protection, Beijing (China), Excellence Award

2013 (185)

• 7th Don Quichote “Citizenship” Int’l Cartoon Contest (German&Turkey) Mention
• 20th Festival Internacional de Caricatura CartoonRendon, Rionegro (Colombia), 1^st Prize
• International cartoon contest Young and EUROjobLESS, Ruse (Bulgaria), 1st Prize
• IX Salao Internacional de Humor de Limeira (Brazil), Best Digital Cartoon
• 7^th International Biennial for Caricature Masters of caricature Plovdiv (Bulgaria),Nomination
• 11^th International Cartoon Contest “KARPIK” Niemodlin (Poland), Honorary Award
• 5^th Cartoonale “De Geus” Lebbeke (Belgium), Best Belgian Cartoon
• 8^th International Cartoon Contest Braila (Romania), Second Prize
• 9^th Cartoon Festival Solin (Croatia), Citation
• 23^rd Int’l Festival of Cartoon Gura Humorului (Romania), 1st Prize
• The 7^th HumoDEVA Int’l Cartoon Contest, Deva (Romania), 2 Special Prizes
• XV PortoCartoon-WorldFestival Porto (Portugal), Honorable Mention
• 45° Rassegna Internazionale Marostica (Italia), Special Prize
• 2^nd Sejong Int’l Cartoon Contest Daejeon City (South Korea), Best Cartoonprize
• VIIth International Exhibition of Satirical Graphic Suceava Bucovina (Romania), Mention

2012 (169)

• 24ste Olense Kartoenale ‘Puzzles’, 1st Prize
• 2^nd Gold Panda Int’l Beijing (China), Special Prize
• Int’l Cartoon Contest Ruse (Bulgaria), Fecoprize
• 21^st Int’l Cartoon Contest Trento (Italy), 2nd prize
• 4th PC Rath Memorial Int’l Bolangir (India), 2nd prize
• Int’l ‘Return to Home’ Cartoon Contest Tehran (Iran), Honorable Mention
• Europsky Festival Humoru a Satiry Kremnica (Slovakia), Golden Gander
• VIII Salao Int’l de Humor de Limeira (Brasil), 1st Prize
• 10^th Int’l Cartoon Contest Karpik (Poland), Nomination
• 6^th International Exhibition of Satirical Graphic Bucovina (Romania), Nomination
• Brain Sneezing Prešov (Slovakia), Audience Prize
• 6^th International Cartoon Contest Urziceni (Romania), Nomination
• 21^th Daeon Int’l Cartoon Contest (South Korea) Honorable Mention

2011 (156)

• Int’l Salon of antiwar Cartoon Kragujevac (Serbia), 3nd Prize
• Int’l Exhibition of Satirical Graphic „Bucovina” (Romania), Finalist

2009 (154)

• Cartoonale Brugge (Belgium) ‘Crisis’, 3th prize
• 18^th Daejeon Int’l Cartoon Contest (S.Korea) 2 Best Cartoon Prizes

2008 (151)

• 4° Salao de Humor de Paraguacu Paulista (Brazil), 3th prize
• Int’l Cartoon Contest Gallarate (Italy), Menzione Speciale della Giuria

2007 (149)

• 16^th Daejeon Int’l Cartoon Contest (S.Korea) Honorary Mention

2006 (147)

• 15^th Daejeon Int’l Cartoon Contest (S.Korea) Honorary Mention
• Humourphoto Calarasi (Romania), 2nd Prize

2005 (145)

• 7^th Tehran International Cartoon Biennal, 1st Prize
• 14^th Daejeon Int’l Cartoon Contest (S. Korea), Dicaco Prize Honorable Mention
• 25^th Nasreddin Hoca Cartoon Contest Istanboel (Turkey), Vatan Gazetesi Özel Ödülü
• 10^th Salon Juanito Laguna Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1° Premio
• 10^th Salon Diogenes Taborda Buenos Aires (Argentina), 1° Premio & 1° Mencion
• 4^th FreeCartoonsWeb International Cartoonet Festival Selected Prize

2003 (137)

• 3th Int’l Cartoon Contest Humo Deva, Romania, Excellent Prize
• Vth Porto Cartoon Festival, Portugal, Honorable Mention
• 2^nd Taiwan International Cartoon Contest Excellence

2002 (134)

• China LM Int’l Cartoon Exhibition Nanjing (China), Excellence Prize
• Curuxas Fene (Galicia), Finalist
• Laureaat Koningin Paolaprijs voor het Secundair Onderwijs, Brussel

2001 (131)

• 28^th Salao Internacional de Humor de Piracicaba (Brasil), 1st prize
• 16^th Yomiuri Shimbun Int’l Cartoon Contest Tokyo (Japan), Citation
• 17° Rassegna Umoristica Int’le Trento (Italy), Honory Mention
• The 5th Tehran International Cartoon Biennial (Iran), Honorable mention
• 3th Courage World Cartoon Taipei (Taiwan), Prize of Importance

2000 (126)

• 22ste Int’l Fotofestival Knokke-Heist, Casino Photo Award
• 39ste Int’l Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist, 3de prijs Bronzen Hoed
• I Salao Int’l “Humor de Praia” Espinho (Portugal), 3° Premio
• 2^nd Bienal Del Deteté La Habana (Cuba), Special Prize Award

1999 (122)

• XVI. Aydin Dogan Hürriyet Int’l Cartoon Competition Antalya (Turkey), 3 th prize
• XIth Bienal Internacional del Humor- fotografica humoristica, La Habana (Cuba), 1er premio
• 1^st Courage World Cartoon Taipei (Taiwan), Bronze Needle
• 13de Nederlands Cartoonfestival Eindhoven, Special Mention Cartoonbook
• Xxth Biennal Int’le dell’ Umorismo nell’Arte Tolentino (Italia), 2°Premio / Torre d’argento
• 2° Uluslararasi Altin Muflon Karikatur Festivali Nicosia (Cyprus), Special Prize
• 21ste Internationale Kartoenale Beringen, Beste Kartoenboek
• 11de Olense Kartoenale, Olen, Beste Belgische Inzending
• 2° Festival Mundial de Caricatura Envigado (Colombia), Mencion Especial
• 9^th Annual Okhotsk Int’l Cartoon Festival (Japan), ‘Work of Special Merit
• 4. Medunarodna Izlozba Karikatura Varazdin (Croatia) Special Award
• 8^th Daejeon Int’l Cartoon Contest (S. Korea) Honorary Mention
• Cartoon-wedstrijd “Schoonmaak” Hoboken (België) Finalist
• 15^th Int’l Cartoon Festival Slavonski Brod (Croatia) Special Award

1998 (109)

• 25^th Salao Internacional de Humor de Piracicaba (Brasil), 1st prize
• 19^th Yomiuri International Cartoon Contest Tokyo (Japan), Excellent Prize
• 30° Rassegna Internazionale Marostica (Italia), Special Prize
• 37ste lnternationaal Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist, Persprijs
• Sbadiglio Umoristico International (Torino) (Italia), Segnalite
• V th lnt’l Cartooncontest Santa Cruz Tenerife (Spain), 2do premio
• ‘De Gouden Feniks’ Cultuurprijs van het Houtland, Torhout
• 7^th Daejeon Int’l Cartoon Contest (S.Korea) Honorary Mention

1997 (101)

• 10^th Concurso “Premio Curuxa Do Humor” Fene (Spain), 1st prize
• 7^th Annual Okhotsk Int’l Cartoon Festival (Japan), ‘Work of special merit’
• 4^th Salon of Cartoons Prokuplje (Yugoslavia), 2nd prize
• Xth Bienal Internacional del Humor La Habana (Cuba), 1er premio
• 17^th Nasreddin Hoca Cartoon Contest Istanboel (Turkey), 2nd prize (Honour Prize)
• XIXth Biennal Int’le dell’ Umorismo nell’Arte Tolentino (Italia), Premio Straordinario
• 6^th Daejeon lnt’l Cartoon Contest (S.Korea), Honorable Mention
• Bienal Internacional de Humor Sao Paulo (Brasil), Mençao Honorosa

1996 (93)

• 6^th Seoul International Cartoon Festival (S.Korea), 2nd prize ‘Silver’
• 5^th Taejon lnt’l Cartoon Contest (S.Korea), Honorable Mention
• 23^th Salao Internacional de Humor de Piracicaba (Brasil), 1st prize
• 16^th Nasreddin Hoca Cartoon Contest Istanboel (Turkey), 2nd prize (Honour Prize)
• Humorfest ’96 Foligno (ltalia), Segnalite (citation)
• Europese Kartoenale ‘Van Os’ Londerzeel (België), 1ste prijs

1995 (87)

• 15^th Nasreddin Hoca Cartoon Contest Istanboel (Turkey), ‘Honorary Plaque of the Directorate General of the Press and Information’
• 4^th Daejeon lnternational Cartoon Contest (S.Korea), Honorable Mention
• 6^th Annual Okhotsk Int’l Cartoon Festival (Japan) ‘2 Works of SpecialMerit’
• 16thYomiuri Shimbun International Cartoon Contest Tokyo (Japan), Citation
• 18de Internationale Kartoenale Beringen, persvermelding

1994 (81)

• 33de lnternationaal Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist, 1ste prijs (Gouden Hoed)
• 15^th Yomiuri Shimbun Int’l Cartoon Contest Tokyo (Japan), Honorable Mention
• III th lnternational Cartooncontest Santa Cruz Tenerife (Spain), 1er premio
• Humorphoto Contest Omiya (Japan), Honorable Mention
• 16de Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, Prijs AGFA
• 9de Nederlands Cartoonfestival Eindhoven, 1ste prijs (Gouden Tulp)
• Cartoonale Royal BeIge Brussel, laureaat
• 3th Daejeon lnternational Cartoon Contest (S.Korea), Honorable Mention

1993 (73)

• Xlth Int’l Biennal of Humour and Satire in the Art, Gabrovo (Bulgaria), 2nd prize
• 13^th Nasreddin Hoca Cartoon Contest IstanbuI (Turkey), Special prize
• 32de lnternationaal Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist, ‘Computer’ 5de prijs
• 16de Internationale Kartoenale Beringen, Special prize ‘Hoegaarden’
• Karikaturale Hoeilaart, Keverprijs
• XIIth Mostra Int’le del disegno umoristico Ancona (ltaIia), Segnalizioni di Merito

1992 (67)

• 14de Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, Prijs van de Generale Bank
• 19^th Salao Internacional de Humor de Piracicaba (Brasil), 1st prize
• 31ste lnternationaal Cartoonfestival Knokke-Heist, ‘Knack Award’
• 3th Annual Okhotsk Exhibition Hokkaido (Japan), ‘Work of special merit’
• VKW Cartoonwedstrijd Turnhout, laureaat

1991 (62)

• 13de Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, 3de prijs (Bronzen Lens)
• Cartoonale Flandrens Technology lnternational Gent, Nominatie
• 7de Nederlands Cartoonfestival, ‘Keverprijs’
• 14de Internationale Kartoenale Beringen,’ Keverprijs’
• Internationale Cartonale Harelbeke, 2de prijs
• 11^th Nasreddin Hoca Cartoon Contest Istanbul (Turkey), 2nd prize
• International Cartooncontest Seoul (S.Korea), Honorable Mention

1990 (55)

• IX Salao De Humor Do Piaui Teresina (Brasil), 1er premio
• 11^th Yomiuri Shimbun Int’l Cartoon Contest Tokyo (Japan), Excellent prize
• 12de Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, 2 Vermeldingen + Prijs van het Publiek

1989 (50)

• IXth Int’l Biennal of Humour and Satire in the Art, Gabrovo (Bulgaria), 1st prize 7de Eurokartoenale Kruishoutem, 3de prijs (Bronzen Ei)
• 1re Festival Mundial De Humor Grafico Calarca (Colombia) ‘Cienca y Technologia’ Mencion Especial + Premio Especial ‘Mejor Trazo’
• 11de Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, Vermelding
• 10^th Yomiuri Shimbun Int’l Cartoon Contest Tokyo (Japan), Excellent prize
• 12deInternationale Kartoenale Beringen, 3de prijs + ‘Beschermengel’ ABB
• Relaxhoris Xhoris, 4th prize
• Fotowedstrijd BRT 2 West-Vlaanderen, 3de prijs

1988 (40)

• 3de Karikaturale van Hoeilaart, 3de prijs
• 10de Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, 5de prijs
• Veiligheidskartoenale Boechout, 2Vermeldingen
• Int’l Cartoonfestival ARTIS Amsterdam (Nederland), 3de prijs (Bronzen Aap)
• 11de Internationale Kartoenale Beringen, 2de prijs ‘Beste Kartoenboek’+Vermelding
• 7de Biennale di caricatura Vercelli (ltalia), Special prize
• 8^th Nasreddin Hoca Cartoon Contest lstanboel (Turkey), Special prize
• XXVth Salon of Cartoons Montreal (Canada), 5th prize ‘Cartoon strips’

1987 (30)

• 9de Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, 1ste prijs (Gouden Lens), 5de, 8ste en 10de prijs
• 10de Kartoenale Bornem, 1ste prijs (Gouden Paling)
• XXlVth Salon of Cartoons Montreal (Canada), 2nd prize ‘Editorial Cartoons’

1986 (24)

• 7th Yumiuri Shimbun Int’l Cartoon Contest Tokio (Japan), Honorable Mention
• 25de Wereldkartoenale Knokke-Heist, 2 Vermeldingen
• 4de Nederlands Cartoonfestival Amstelveen, Vermelding

1985 (20)

• 3de Nederlands Cartoonfestival Amstelveen, 2de prijs (Zilveren Tulp)
• 24de Wereldkartoenale Knokke-Heist, Prijs van het Casino
• 8ste Internationale Kartoenale Beringen, 2de prijs (Brave Engel)

1984 (17)

• 2de Nederlands Cartoonfestival Amstelveen, 1ste prijs (Gouden Tulp)
• 5^th Yomiuri Shimbun lnternational Cartoon Contest Tokyo (Japan), Citation
• 23de Wereldkartoenale Knokke-Heist,
• 8ste Prijs Wijncartoonale Mähler-Besse en C°, Eervolle vermelding
• 6de Humorfoto Knokke Heist, 1ste prijs (Gouden Lens), 7de en 15de prijs

1983 (10)

• Vlth Int’l Biennal of Humour and Satire in the Art, Gabrovo (Bulgaria),1th prize
• 6de Internationale Kartoenale Beringen, vermelding
• 4^th Yomiuri Shimbun lnternational Cartoon Contest Tokyo (Japan), Citation
• 5de Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, 6de prijs

1982 (6)

• 21ste Wereldkartoenale Knokke-Heist, Prijs van het Casino
• 5de Internationale Kartoenale Beringen, Persprijs ‘RICARD’ Brussel, Vermelding

1981 (3)

• 20de Wereldkartoenale Knokke-Heist, Prijs van het Publiek

1980 (2)

• 2de Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, 3de prijs

1979 (1)

• 1ste Humorfoto Knokke-Heist, 2de prijs

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We invite you to explore the great representative exhibition of cartoons and humour photographs by outstanding artist Luc Descheemaeker (O-SEKOER) from Belgium. You will have unique ocasion to get acquainted with the creative work of one of the most successful of contemporary cartoonists. Wishing you a wonderful experience!

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