Alexei Grabco (August 18, 1936 – July 5, 2016) was a Moldovan

caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Abril Lamarque (1904–1999) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfre ...

and illustrator known for his distinctive style and humorous works.

Biography

Grabco was born on August 18, 1936, in

Camenca Camenca ( , Moldovan Cyrillic: Каменка; ; ) is a town in Transnistria, a breakaway republic internationally recognized as part of Moldova. It is composed of the town itself and the village of ''Solnecinoe''. Camenca is the seat of Camenca ...

, situated on the left bank of the

Dniester River The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...

. He pursued his education at the Republican School of Fine Arts "I. Repin" in

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ; formerly known as Kishinev) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Moldova, largest city of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial centre, and is located in the middle of the coun ...

from 1954 to 1957, where he interacted with notable contemporaries such as Emil Childescu, Ion Daghi, Gheorghe Munteanu, Aleksandr Hmelnițki, and Dumitru Trifan. His debut came in 1956 when his works appeared in the magazine "

Scînteia ''Scînteia'' ( Romanian for "The Spark") was the name of two newspapers edited by Communist groups at different intervals in Romanian history. The title is a homage to the Russian language paper '' Iskra''. It was known as ''Scânteia'' until ...

". Encouraged by fellow artist

Igor Vieru Igor Vieru (23 December 1923 – 24 May 1988) was a painter from Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldov ...

, he embarked on a successful career at the magazine " Chipăruș" as an artistic editor for 25 years, spanning from 1958 to 1984. His satirical and innovative caricatures quickly gained attention and recognition for their unique style. Grabco's caricatures often addressed social issues and found publication not only in "Chipăruș" but also in various newspapers and magazines across

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

and the former

Soviet republics In the Soviet Union, a Union Republic () or unofficially a Republic of the USSR was a constituent federated political entity with a system of government called a Soviet republic, which was officially defined in the 1977 constitution as " ...

. His meticulous attention to detail and artistic talent were evident in his work, which ranged from simple yet impactful pieces to intricate narratives filled with complex ideas. His most notable contributions include the series "Neighbors" and "The Adventures of Trică and Ciupică". Additionally, he authored two collections for children during the 1960s and 1965, followed by two albums of cartoons tailored for adult audiences. Grabco's creativity extended beyond static works to animation; he played significant roles as a screenwriter, director, painter, and even cameraman for the animated film "Two Neighbors". In the 1970s and 1980s, he established his own studio, "

Animafilm Animafilm is a Romanian animation studio, founded in Bucharest in 1964 after Ion Popescu-Gopo won numerous awards at international festivals. After the fall of the communist regime in 1989, the institution was reorganized as a joint-stock compa ...

". Grabco was a distinguished member of the ''Union of Artists of the Republic of Moldova''. His contributions were acknowledged with awards such as the gold medal and Diploma of the Union of Journalists of the USSR. In 2006, he received the honorary title of "Master of Art" from the

Republic of Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised ...

. He passed away on July 5, 2016, in

, leaving behind a legacy of humor and creativity.

References

External links

Books by Alexei Grabco
at

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Grabco, Alexei 1936 births 2016 deaths People from Camenca District Moldovan artists Caricaturists 20th-century illustrators 20th-century Moldovan people