Nine Iranian artists named winners at Belgrade illustration contest
Nine Iranian illustrators were among 83 winners announced on September at the 2025 Belgrade International Illustration Competition, staged alongside the 53rd Golden Pen and the 18th biennial showcase in the Serbian capital.
The Belgrade contest, held every two years by the Association of Designers and Artists of Serbia, is regarded as one of the most prestigious gatherings for book and media illustration in eastern Europe, inn.ir reported.
It draws submissions across publishing houses, magazines, newspapers, animation and digital platforms, providing a springboard for emerging and established artists alike.
The Iranian laureates were named as Raha Amini, Salimeh Babakhan, Mahshid Raghemi, Shideh Sekhavati, Ghazal Fat’hollahi, Maral Forouzesh, Hajar Moradi, Maryam Mahmoudi-Moghadam and Najla Mahdavi-Ashraf.
Two entries that drew particular attention were Mahdavi-Ashraf’s ‘Sun in the Turkmen Desert’ and Raghemi’s ‘Tick-Tock,’ both produced by Tehran’s Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults.
The organizers said the 2025 selection represented a “crossroads” of global talent, underscoring how illustration continues to straddle art and publishing markets despite economic headwinds. For Iranian publishers, securing recognition in Belgrade is seen as a way to break into international circuits and ink new deals in children’s and educational segments.
The winning works will go on public display in Belgrade from early November, with collectors and editors expected to attend the opening to scout for fresh talent.