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When we observe the development of the world cartooning through the results of international cartoon competitions which take place around the world in a respectable number, we have come to believe that period of amateurism in this genre is slowly but surely ending. The winning works of renowned cartoon contests are in most cases at a very good, but often at a top level – both in terms of artistic as well as of thought values.
Dilletantes in cartooning are gradually replaced by the real artists with quality education at prestigious art academies, who are thoroughly familiar with the history of art and perfectly dominate both the theory as well as the practice of art imaging techniques. They excellently understand the rules of composition; perspective or color theory don’t make them any problems. Although they are gifted with remarkable talent, they have reached high craftsmanship in the art techniques through a long and intense workout.
A shining example of this positive trend and a strong representative of the current quality stream in today’s world cartooning is an excellent cartoonist Luc Vernimmen from Belgium. He is an artist in the true sense, he is focused to a wide range of artistic activities – he paints, illustrates, creates graphics and cartoons, designs and implements works of graphic design. In each of these visual art disciplines, he has left a deep footprint.
In the field of cartooning, Luc Vernimmen has achieved considerable success and a significant position – currently he belongs among the internationally highly respected creators of the European and World Cartoon Art. His artworks are adornments of numerous international cartoon exhibitions and festivals around the world and have already reaped a great number of laurels.
Let us introduce you a brief professional biography of this excellent artist:
Luc Vernimmen is a well-known Belgian graphic designer, illustrator, painter and cartoonist. Someone who is seriously engaged in his work, without taking himself too seriously (what is very likeable).
Luc Vernimmen was born in 1959 in Mortsel, Belgium. Luc was drawing comics already already from his early childhood. During his youth, drawing became his primary activity. Of course, it was therefore no surprise that he has chosen an art formation of free graphics – he studied „Graphic Arts“ in Sint-Lucas university college of Art and Design in Antwerp (1978-1982). Later on he followed his studies of „Sculpture“ on the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp (1983).
After years of creating woodcuts, experimenting with etching in copper and zinc with the corresponding acids, it was the lack of color which was the main reason to switch to other outlets and pursue new opportunities. These included illustrating books, oil painting, digital colouring and drawing. His work evolved from the graphic black and white etchings to colorfull oil paintings on canvas. This trend is also reflected in his cartoons: last century largely monochrome, today colorful compositions, sometimes digital but mostly still worked out on paper.
Currently he is working as a software quality tester and as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. His job as a software tester in a graphic company helps him to stay up to date with the newest graphical software. As a graphic designer, he creates designs for
advertisements, logos, leaflets, posters, packaging, folders, brochures, letterheads, envelopes, flyers and other printed matter. As a freelance illustrator he is working for various publishers mainly in Belgium and the Netherlands and creates illustrations for educational publications and picture books for young people.
Luc Vernimmen is very successful also as a cartoonist – his cartoons have been awarded prestigious prizes and mentions at the most famous international cartoon competitions and festivals all over the world (Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Iran, etc) – the list of awards you can see below. His works of graphic art, oil paintings and cartoons can be regularly admired at numerous exhibitions.
In 2011, Luc Vernimmen was the house cartoonist of the renowned European Cartoon Center of Kruishoutem (Belgium). In 2014 he published his own cartoon album named simply „Cartoons without words“. He was a jury member of the First International Teapot Cartoon festival in Turkey in 2013, in the ECC cartoon contest Kruishoutem Belgium in 2009, and the International Tourism cartoon contest in Turkey 2014.
Another great passion of Luc is music, which runs like a common thread through his oil paintings and other works of art. He plays viola in various orchestras and can intensely enjoy classical and other music.
Luc Vernimmen is living and working in Antwerp, Belgium.
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MAIN AWARDS:
- 1st Prize – Cartoon Contest Satyrykon 2001, Legnica (Poland)
- Honorable Mention – PortoCartoon World Festival 2001, Porto (Portugal)
- Honorable Mention – Worldwide „Be tobacco free!“ Cartoon Contest 2001 (USA)
- Keverprijs – Cartoon Contest 2001, Deventer (Holland)
- 3rd Prize – Fruitcartoenale 2001, Sint-Truiden (Belgium)
- 3rd Prize – “7th International Cartoon Contest” 2002, Haifa (Israel)
- Nominated for prize – Cartoonfestival „Freedom and Journalism“ 2002, Ploiesti (Romania)
- Prize – 8th International Caricature Competition „WomensWorlds“ 2002, Essen (Germany)
- Kever prize – Cartoon Contest 2002, Kruishoutem (Belgium)
- Prize – International Cartoon Contest 2003, Malmoe (Sweden)
- 1st Prize – International Cartoon Contest Golagha 2003, Tehran (Iran)
- Prijs (Bronze Award) – Fruitcartoenale 2004, Sint-Truiden (Belgium)
- 3rd Prize – Cartoon Contest 2004, Bilzen (Belgium)
- Prize Kastelana Kozuchowskiego Zamku – Cartoon Contest „Castle“ 2004, (Poland)
- Kever prize – Cartoon Contest Kruishoutem 2004 (Belgium)
- Prize Round Table – Art Competition ‘With an eye on India’ 2004 (India)
- 2de Prijs (Silver Award) – Fruitcartoenale 2004, Sint-Truiden (Belgium)
- 3rd prize – International Cartoon Contest 2005, Zagreb (Croatia)
- 3rd prize – Kartoenale 2006, Olen (Belgium)
- 1st prize – 2de International Cartoonfestival 2006, Aalst (Belgium)
- 3rd Prize – Cartoonwedstrijd CM 2007 „Solidariteit“, Brugge (Belgium)
- 2nd Prize – EuroKartoenale 2007, Kruishoutem (Belgium)
- Prijs van de Provincie Limburg – Fruitcartoenale 2007, Sint-Truiden (Belgium)
- Honourable Mention – European Cartoon Contest “Desigualdades, Discriminações e Preconceitos” 2007 (Portugal)
- Special prize – 3rd Ekaterinburg Intern. Cartoon Contest 2007, Ekaterinburg (Russia)
- Prijs Provincie Antwerpen – Kartoenale 2007, Olen (Belgium)
- 3de prijs – Cartoonale “Stroop uit Borgloon” 2007, Borgloon (Belgium)
- Honourable Mention – X PortoCartoon World Festival 2008, Porto (Portugal)
- Honourable Mention – European Cartoon Contest 2008 (Portugal)
- Special Prize of Alanya Municipality – 8th International Mediterranean Cartoon Contest 2008, Alanya (Turkey)
- Prijs Willemsfonds – George Van Raemdonck Kartoenale 2008, Boechout (Belgium)
- 2nd Prize – Lübbener Grafikatur 2008, Lübben (Germany)
- Prijs Provincie Antwerpen – Kartoenale 2008, Olen (Belgium)
- 1ste Prijs – Fruitcartoenale 2009, Sint-Truiden (Belgium)
- Special mention – 14th International Cartoon Exhibition 2009, Zagreb (Croatia)
- Lekkerbekprijs – Kartoenale 2009, Olen (Belgium)
- Honourable Mention – First International Tourism Cartoon competition 2010 (Turkey)
- Prijs Davidfonds – Cartoon Festival 2010, Knokke-Heist (Belgium)
- 2de Prijs – Fruitcartoonale 2010, St-Truiden (Belgium)
- Honourable Mention – PortoCartoon 2010, Porto (Portugal)
- Honourable Mention theme “Work” – 10th Tabriz International Cartoon Contest 2010, Tabriz (Iran)
- Honourable Mention – PortoCartoon „Communication and Technology“ 2011, Porto (Portugal)
- 1ste prijs – Fedactio cartoon wedstrijd: “50 jaar Turkse immigratie in Belgie” 2012 (Belgium)
- Honourable Mention – PortoCartoon (The rich, the poor and the protester) 2012, Porto (Portugal)
- 3de prijs “- 10 jaar fruitcartoons” 2012, Sint-Truiden (Belgium)
- Prijs van het Publiek – Cartoon festival 2013, Knokke-Heist (Belgium)
- Honourable Mention – PortoCartoon 2013, Porto (Portugal)
- Honourable Mention – Cartoon Contest „The egg“ 2013, Vianden (Luxembourg)
- Sponsor’s Prize – XV International Open Cartoon Contest „Social media“ 2013, Zielona Gora, 2013 (Poland)
- Special prize – International Cartoon Contest 2013, Haifa (Israel)
- Derde prijs – Global Mobility Cartoon contest 2013, Kortrijk (Belgium)
- Prijs Davidfonds – Cartoon Festival 2014, Knokke-Heist (Belgium)
- Atila Özer Special Award – 5th International Tourism Cartoon competition 2014 (Turkey)
- Special prize “Berlin Wall” – 5th International Cartoon Competition 2014, Berlin (Germany)
- Public Prize – Cartoon Contest Beltud “50th anniversary of Turkish migration in Belgium” 2014 (Belgium)
- 1st Award – 42 World Gallery of Cartoons 2014, Skopje (Macedonia)
- Honourable Mention – PortoCartoon 2015, Porto (Portugal)
- Prijs – Internationale sportcartoonale Sportimonium 2015, Zemst (Belgium)
- Prize – 4th International “Olive” Cartoon Contest 2015 (Cyprus)
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„A successful cartoon should have a combination of both humorous and graphic qualities, but that is also subjective…“, says Luc Vernimmen. His artworks, however, these assumptions fulfill on the top level – and we are delighted that we can present them to you in the Cartoon Gallery. Enjoy this exclusive exhibition, dear friends! 
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previous exhibition 
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