Exhibitions

CONSTANTIN SUNNERBERG

REPRESENTATIVE EXHIBITION OF EXCELLENT CARTOONIST

FROM BELGIUM

It seems that there are people who have their life path firmly predestinated in advance. When we observe the lines of force of their life course, we find out that all are directed unerringly to one constant target. Such a trajectory runs through the life of excellent artist and cartoonist Constantin Sunnerberg from Belgium. At first glance it might seem that all those impressive successes, that he achieved by a mere three years, during which he has been creating cartoons are a kind of miracle – but if we look back to the past, we find that his life journey was predestinated long before his birth: it was determined by the historical framework, family background, the environment in which he grew up, the places at which brought him the life, people whom he encountered and of course a huge talent which he has been blessed with. In extremely short time he became a shining star of the international cartoon competitions around the world and undoubtedly one of the great personalities of Cartoon Art. Let’s get acquainted with his life and creative work.

*****

Constantin Sunnerberg (who is signing his artworks as Cost.) was born on 19th September 1970 in Moscow in the former USSR. His name is Swedish and it means „the mountain of the sun“. His family came to Russia few centuries ago. He grew up in an artistic environment – e.g. in the famous Tretiakov Gallery in Moscow, there is a portrait of Constantin’s great-grandfather Constantin Sunnerberg painted by the great painter Mstislav Dobujinski.

Constantin started to draw very young and he illustrated his first book before he was ten. His mother was completely anticommunist with a lot of dissidents as friends. She decided to leave the country doing a wedding with a French journalist. The story is described in a book called “White wedding on the Red square”.

The family moved to Belgium when Constantin was 10 and 3 years later they become French citizens. Constantin spent his school years in The European School in Brussels and afterwards (in 1995) he finished “La Cambre” artistic University in the Grafic section.

In 1998 he started creating political drawings for the Belgian newspaper called Le Soir. Since then, he is working as a professional illustrator, mainly for press (Le Soir, Courrier International, Journal du Mardi, Espace de Libertés, Journaliste, Le Monde, Vif-Express, Independant on Sunday, Courrier ACPUE, World Parliamentarian, Imagine, Internazionale, Diplomatie Judiciaire, Synergy, ITT, etc.). He is creating drawings, posters, books, etc. Constantin Sunnerberg illustrated several books.

He loves changing styles and technics. He painted a cow for Le Soir (Art on cows Brussels). Constantin did about 40 trips in French cities for Courrier International creating illustrated reportings. In 2001 he created drawings for the first Rwanda trial (Brussels) – some drawings are in the Musée d’Histoire Contemporaine in Paris, France. In 2002 he created the Giant figures for the famous Carnival in Nice (France) and in 2003 drawings for the German TV ZDF.

Constantin Sunnerberg won prizes in political cartoons, in poster or writing short stories competitions as well as in Belgian chess tournements. He started to create cartoons and participate in cartoon competitions only in 2010 and immediately won third prize in a renowned cartoon contest in Knokke-Heist, Belgium. Since that time his cartoons have been awarded a number of prestigious prizes at both national and international cartoon competitions and a list of his achievements is still increasing (see bellow).

He is married with a Spanish pianist (born in Chile) and they have 3 children – Andrei, Ivan and Barbara. Constantin Sunnerberg is living and working in Brussels, Belgium.

*****

Drawings in the periodicals:

Le Soir, Courrier International, Journal du Mardi, Espace de Libertes, Journaliste, Le Monde, Vif-Express, Independant on Sunday, Courrier ACPUE, World Parliamentarian, Imagine, Internazionale, Diplomatie Judiciaire, l’Hebdo de Geneve, Synergy, ITT, etc.

Prizes :

Press cartoon :

2002 – PCB (Press Cartoon Belgium) : Second Prize
2004 – PCB (Press Cartoon Belgium) : Second Prize
2005 – PCB (Press Cartoon Belgium) : First Prize
2011 – 7th World Press Cartoon Sintra Portugal : Honourable Mention Editorial Cartoon
2013 – 9th World Press Cartoon Sintra Portugal : Honourable Mention Editorial Cartoon, Honourable Mention Caricature

Poster :

2011 – Poster for Tomorrow : Best Poster Prize

Cartoon :

2010 – International Knokke-Heist Cartoon Festival Belgium : Third Prize
2011 – 18th Euro-Kartoenale Kruishoutem Belgium : Best Belgian Prize
2011 – 2nd Limes contest Germany : Second Prize
2011 – 12th Salon International of Caricature G. Van Raemdonck Boechout Belgium : Prize IHA (International Humour in Art)
2011 – 4th Cartoonale “De Geus” Lebbeke Belgium : Second Prize
2011 – New Izvestia Contest Russia : Special Prize
2011 – 5th Urziceni contest Romania : Special Prize
2012 – Palatifini Cartoon Contest Italy : First Prize
2012 – 44th Umoristi a Marostica Italy : Second Prize
2012 – 2nd Selective Cartoon Contest Hungary : Second Prize
2012 – Zemst Sport Cartoon Contest Belgium : First Prize
2012 – 10th Humour&Vigne Contest France : Pineau Prize
2012 – Beggar International Cartoon Contest China : First Prize
2012 – 2nd GRIP Cartoon Contest Belgium : First Prize
2012 – Nasreddin Hodja Cartoon Contest Turkey : Aksam Newspaper Prize
2012 – 6th Jiaxing Contest China : Best Theme Prize
2012 – New Izvestia Contest Russia : Special Prize
2012 – Golden Smile Belgrade Serbia : Honourable Mention
2013 – Sinop Contest Turkey : Second Prize
2013 – 19th Euro-Kartoenale Kruishoutem Belgium : Best European Prize
2013 – 18th Dutch Cartoonfestival Holland : First Prize
2013 – 45th Umoristi a Marostica Italy : First Prize
2013 – 7th KUK Germany : 5th Prize
2013 – 3rd Turhan Selçuk Turkey : Cumhuriyet Gazetesi Prize
2013 – 7th Karikaturum Russia : Surgut Museum Prize
2013 – 17th Antiwar Kragujevac Serbia : Mayor of Bydgoszcz Prize
2013 – 25th Rotary Award Australia : First International Prize
2013 – 7th Urziceni Romania : Special Prize
2013 – 6th Smiling Cat Azerbaijan : Honourable Mention
2013 – 3rd Gold Panda China : Silver Medal

Books :

1980 « Your turn » Natalia Durova (Progress Publishers Moscow)
2002 « La Belgique d’une révolution à l’autre » (Renaissance du livre and Dexia Publishing)
2003 « Le XIV siècle : quel siècle turbulent » (Renaissance du livre and Dexia Publishing)
2007 « Guide of respect » (Belgian) of « Ni putes ni soumises ».
2007 « Les Fables de la Fontaine » (Renaissance du Livre/Luc Pire)
2008 « Don Quichotte » (Luc Pire)
2012 « De la ville aux bassins de vie » P. Furlan (Luc Pire)

Strange drawings :

2001 – Drawings for the first Rwanda trial (Brussels). Now some drawings are in the Musée d’Histoire Contemporaine of Paris.
2002 – Giant figures for the Carnaval of Nice (France).
2003 – Drawings for the German TV ZDF.
2003 – Painting a cow for the newspaper Le Soir (Art on Cows Brussels).
2005-2011 – Series of drawings for Courrier International in french cities. More that 40 reportings so far.

*****

We invite you to a tour of the great representative exhibition of excellent cartoonist Constantin Sunnerberg from Belgium. Certainly do not miss it !

[Show as slideshow]