Kurdish Cartoonist Wins China Merit Award
Erbil-born Kurdish cartoonist Hendren Khoshnaw won an Excellence Award at China’s Shingzhou International Cartoon Festival, one of 30 artists honored in 2026.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdish cartoonist Handren Khoshnaw has been named among 30 artists to receive a Merit Award at the 3rd Shengzhou International Caricature Exhibition in China for 2026, carrying Kurdish cartoon art onto an international stage.
The exhibition officially opened Oct. 12, 2026, at the Shengzhou Cultural and Creative Theme Museum in Shengzhou, Zhejiang, and runs through Nov. 8. Its theme is caricatures of world-famous figures in politics, science and technology, culture, economy, sports, and entertainment. Khoshnaw, listed as representing the Kurdistan Region, appears in the first column of the published list of Merit Award winners.
Khoshnaw told Kurdistan24 on Tuesday, that the event drew significant international participation. “The 3rd Shengzhou International Caricature Festival was held in 2026 with notable international participation, and a total of 2,500 artworks were submitted by cartoonists from 39 countries and regions,” he said.
Describing how the works were chosen, Khoshnaw said the competition was demanding. “After a strict process of selecting and evaluating the artworks, the jury and evaluation committee, made up of 14 international artists, chose 165 works from 24 countries and regions to take part in the exhibition,” he said.
Only a fraction of those works earned the top honor, he added. “Of those 165 selected works, only 30 artists were given the Merit Award, and I, as a Kurdish artist, was one of those who managed to win this award,” Khoshnaw said.
The event, he noted, brought together artists from dozens of countries and regions, with an international committee choosing the works. It created a space to showcase caricature art and to take part in artistic activities at the international level.
Khoshnaw is from the city of Erbil. He took part in exhibitions organized by school activity directorates from childhood.
In 1986, he held his first solo exhibition in Erbil, first of painting and later of his cartoons. Since 2000, he has participated in international painting and cartoon events, with more than 220 international activities and participations in most countries of the world. He has been given numerous awards, certificates, and honors.
For Khoshnaw, the award carries meaning beyond a personal achievement. “My participation in this international event and receiving the Merit Award is part of the participation of Kurdish artists in international artistic activities, and an opportunity to introduce Kurdish cartoon art at the global level,” he said.