Comic Freund III
Valeriu Kurtu was born in 1956 in the small town of Ungeny on the Moldavian-Romanian border. He attended the Art School in Kishinev and then studied at the Academy of Cinematography (WGIK) in the Department of Animated Film in Moscow, graduating in 1982. In 1986 he became a member of FECO (Federation of Cartoonists Organisations).
He completed the 2-year course in directing and screenwriting in Moscow in 1987. As a writer and director, he made seven animated films. At the same time, he published cartoons in essential magazines and caricature journals such as Krokodil (Russia), Eulenspiegel (Germany), Ursika (Romania) and in his home country Moldova in the magazine Ciparusch. In 1990 he joined the Art Association of the USSR and Moldova, and in 1994 he became a member of the Journalists' Association of Moldova.
In 1994, when he was already a recognised artist, he moved to Berlin with his family.
In 2003, he opened his gallery (KurtuKunst) with his wife, who is also an artist.
For United Buddy Bears, he designs and creates motifs for the Berlin Buddy Bears.
He has received more than 100 prizes, medals and awards in caricature competitions worldwide. Since 2010, he has organised and directed the "Berlin International Caricature Competition".