Aleksandar Karakušević Klas' Cartoons#

In 2019, the National Library of Serbia was gifted with the legacy of Aleksandar Karakušević Klas (1928–2002), a famous Serbian cartoonist, illustrator, painter and graphic designer. The collection contains original cartoons, illustrations, posters, advertisements and Klas' awards. Born in Skopje, Klas studied at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade. He began building his career in 1950, as the youngest contributor to “Jež”, a humorous magazine, where he had an opportunity to learn from the best cartoonists of the time – Milorad Ćirić, Ivan Lučev and Đorđe Lobačev. In 1958, Klas worked as the editor of the section titled “Smeh” (“Laugh”) of “Ilustrovana Politika”, a weekly periodical. In 2009, the First International Aleksandar Klas Cartoon Contest was established in memory of the famous cartoonist. Klas was a member of ULUPUDS (an association of applied arts and design), and in 1987, he received the title of a prominent artist. In his 44-year-long prolific career, over 30,000 of his cartoons were published in the domestic and foreign press. He also held 480 independent and collective exhibitions in the country and abroad. All of this testifies to his position as an artist with tremendous creative energy. To this day, his cartoons still decorate centres of humour and satire in Warsaw, Tolentino, Istanbul, Knokke-Heist, Vercelli, Ancona, Basel and Grabow. Three world cartoon encyclopaedias contain Klas’ works. In 1990, he entered the Guinness Book of Records as the most awarded cartoonist ever.#

The NBS hereby presents a selection of 24 of his cartoons that have received significant awards at various world humour festivals in the second half of the 20th century, as great examples of his graphic art. #