International Caricature Contest “By Bus” Announces Winners: Italian Artist Takes Top Prize

The Estonian Humor Museum has officially presented the exhibition catalogue for the international caricature competition “By Bus.” The contest, which focused on the humorous side of public transport, attracted a massive global response, bringing together artists from every corner of the world.

The competition saw an impressive turnout, with 695 works submitted by 243 cartoonists representing 51 different countries. The high volume of entries underscores how the quirks and comedy of bus travel serve as a universal language.

A Fair and Anonymous Selection Process

To ensure complete impartiality, the judging was conducted in two anonymous rounds. Jury members were kept in the dark regarding the identities of the artists and the scores given by their fellow judges.

From an initial pool of 670 caricatures, the top 42 were shortlisted in the first round. Following a final evaluation, the scores were tallied to determine the winners of the €1,800 prize fund.

The expert jury included:

• Andrus Tamm (Estonian Humor Museum)
• Hugo Osula (LuxExpress and Tallinn Bus Station)
• Renowned Cartoonists: Heiki Ernits, Valdek Alber, Heino Prunsvelt, Heiki Maiberg, and Gatis Šlūka (Latvia).

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The Winners

The top honors were distributed among international masters of the craft and local Estonian talent:

Award	Winner	Country	Prize
1st Place	Marco De Angelis	Italy	€750
2nd Place	Tarmo Vaarmets	Estonia	€500
3rd Place	Oleg Gutsol	Ukraine	€250

In addition to the main prizes, two Special Prizes of €150 each were awarded to Estonian artists Priit Koppel and Erki Evestus for their outstanding contributions.

Discover the Collection

You can now explore the brilliant works of the winners and finalists online. The official competition page features the digital catalogue and detailed information about the event.

View the Full “By Bus” Exhibition and Catalogue Here