At the age of five he begins to draw on table cloths and curtains,and at the age of seven, when his first cartoon is published in a regional newspaper, he calms his parents by beginning to draw on paper. At the age of 14 he publishes his first cartoon in the only humour magazine available in Romania under Ceausescu’s regime.This is the period when he starts to participate in National and Interna
tional Salons.Due to trips in France facilitated by Mr. Henry Coursaget, President of the Festival in Confolens,he discovers the universal cartoon and starts his professional period.In 1980 Popa’s graduates from the Polytechnic Institute in Timisoara and becomes the official cartoonist at the Festival in Confolens and other international festivals.In 1990 he wins a UNESCO scholarship, publishes the first satirical graphic art album and is voted President of the Elite and Professional Cartoonists’ Organizations’ Federation in Europe. He meets and works side by side with great artists and cartoonists such as: Salvador Dali, Jerry Robinson (Superman’s and Batman’s author), Vasquez De Sola, Plantu, Emerson, La Palma, Tim, Morchoisne. At the international Festival of Cartoon from Saint-Esteve (France) he breaks the world record for resistance (during 10 days and 10 nights he draws 1527 portraits in colours) and on October 17th 1995 he succeeds to break the world record for speed that belonged to the belgian Emile Robin (106 cartoons in one hour), making 131 cartoons in one hour and therefore, is declared the fastest cartoonist in the world; this record was homologated in the Guiness Book from the Philippines. At the same festival he succeeds to break his own record by making 2772 cartoons in colours in 10 days and 10 nights and obtains the votes of the French public and tourists, who came to the International Festival from Saint-Esteve, for best resemblance between the cartoons and the models. Due to all these results he is rewarded the title of Best Man Baixa nom Briale. His dossier for the acceptance in the Romanian Academy is being discussed. As the President of Honour of the Romanian Cartoonists’ Association he organizes all the professional salons from Romania. He has founded the first Museum of the Romanian Cartoon at the Castle from Macea (Arad). Dali’s portrait, signed Popa’s 95, is included in the catalogue from the Museum Salvador Dali. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the humor magazine “Canard Enchaine”, he was invited to Sierre in Switzerland and to Forte dei Marmi in Italy. Invited by Hassan the second, King of Maroc, to the Bab Rouah Royal Court, in 1997. Invited to the Beethoven Festival, Ringstrasse Galery, Vienna, Prater, 1998. Official Cartoonist at the Olympiad from Atlanta, World Cup, 1998. Invited to the Tourism Fair from Berlin 1998, 1999 and to The World is Coloured Festival, Ingolstadt, Germany, 1999, 2000. Official Cartoonist at the Summits in Bucharest and Prague, 2002, Official Cartoonist at the 37th Chess Olympiad from Turin, 2006. Invited by the Romanian Academy to the International Session called Think Europe, where he drew presidents of academies from the entire world, Sinaia, 2002. In China, he receives the title The Best of the World for portrait, 2002. His works can be seen in famous museums such as the Ermitage from Sankt Petersburg. Was decorated by the president Ion Iliescu with the title Knight of Honour in culture. Member of honour in the International Police Association. He colaborates as a teacher at the Vest University from Timisoara. Member of the Plastic Artists’ Union from Romania and of the Professional Plastic Artists’ Union. He has a permanent personal exhibition at the Victoria Pallace, Romania’s Government. He is Citizen of Honour in 26 cities from Romania: Timisoara, Cluj, Caransebes, Dr.Turnu-Severin, Slatina, Ploiesti, Vaslui, Fagaras, Zalau, Gura Humorului, Mangalia etc. INTERNATIONAL SALONS:
l Montreal, Canada, 1979 - 1980
l Bordighera, Tolentino, Pescara, Italy, 1980
l Athens, Greece, 1980
l Garbovo, Bulgaria, 1980, 1983
l Skopije, Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 1980, 1981, 1991
l Beringen, the Low Countries, 1983
l Moscow, Russia, 1983
l Istanbul, Akseir, Turkey, 1983
l Warsaw, Poland, 1987
l Cariocas, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1991
l Lisabon, Oreire, Portugal, 1993
l Trento, Italy, 1994
l Smederevo, Yugoslavia, 1997
l The Royal Galleries Babh-Ruah (Rabat, Maroc), 1998
l The International Tourism Fair (Berlin 1999, 2000)
l Ingolstadt (Die Welt ist bunt – The World is coloured), 2000, 2001
l Ring Strasse Gallery – Prater Wien, 2000
l The Victoria Palace (the Romanian Government), 2002
l Limoge, France , 2003
l Belgrade, Serbia, 2006 etc. PERSONAL EXHIBITIONS:
l The Townhall from Confolens 1979-1985
l Yomiuri Simbun Gallery, Tokyo, Japan, 1980
l Huriviet Vafki Gallery, Istambul,Turkey, 1984
l “Szpilky” Galleries, Warsaw, 1987
l Cartoon’s Museum,Warsaw, 1987
l Abbaye aux Dames, Saintes, France, 1990
l Budapest, Hungary, 1990
l Saint-Esteve, France, 1990
l Grupamma Confolens, France, 1990
l Pan Theatre, Bucharest, Romania, 1993
l Copenhagen Soro, Denmark, 1994
l The National Military Centre, Bucharest, 1994, 1995, 1996
l The Art’s Museum, Timisoara, 1995
l Corniche, Sete, Frace-Ivory Coast, 1996
l Voishe Dome,Yugoslavia, Belgrade, 1996
l The National History Museum from Moldavia (in the presence of the President of the Moldavian Republic,Petru Lucinski),1997
l Ingolstadt, Germany, 200-2005
l Berlin, Germany, 2002-2004
l Bruxelles, 2002-2005
l Roumazier-Loubert (Limoge), France, 2003
l Zagreb, Croatia, 2004
l Prague, The Czech Republic, 2001, 2002, 2003
l The International Festival of Saint Just le Martel, France, 2005
l The 37 th Chess Olympiad, Turin, Italy, 2006
l The Proges Gallery, Belgrade, Serbia, 2006
l The Palace of Congress in La Baule, France, 2006
NATO, Bruxelles, Belgium, 2006. On january 21st, Popa signs a contract with the Cartoonists’ and Writers’ Trade Union (U.S.A) and publishes in 144 important newspapers and magazines all over the world:
Szpilsky-Poland, Interpress Graphic - published on 6 continents; Damage, La Nouvelle Republique, VSD, Sud - Ouest, Centre Presse, Liberation, Charente Libre, L’Humanite, Canard Enchaine etc. - France; Jez - Yugoslavia; Stirsel - Bulgaria; Cearceaf, Huriviet Vafki - Turkey; Daily World - USA; Hocipo, Magyar Hirlap - Hungary; Yomiuri Simbun - Japan; L’Afrique - Congo; L’Ecuatore - Morocco; Krokodil - Russia; Carioca - Brazil; Bargladet - Denmark. OTHER EXHIBITIONS:
l The Art’s Museum, Galati, 1979 - 1983
l UNESCO, Paris, 1979 - 1983
l Athens, Greece, 1980
l Bucharest, Sala Dalles
l Warsaw, Cartoon’s Museum, 1989
l Saintes-France, 1989, 1990
with CABU, PLANTU, WOZNIAK, SERRE, LAVAL, MOSE, SOULAS. l Budapest, Hungary, 1990
l Saintes , France, 1989, 1991
l Sainte-Esteve, France, 1991
l Szeged, Hungary, 1991
l The Art’s Museum, Timisoara, 1991
l The National Military Centre, Bucharest, 1993, 1994, 1995
During his career, a series of films and shows are produced on Popa’s, in the following countries: USA, Canada, France, Denmark, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Romania, The Moldavian Republic, Poland, The Chech Republic and Germany. He also receives awards for his exceptional activity from the Romanian Television and from the Humourists Association. HE RECEIVES IN ROMANIA MORE THAN 100 PROFFESIONAL PRIZES, FOR EXAMPLE:
l The First Prize of the Humour Salon - Braila
l The First Prize of the Humour Salon - Timisoara,1980
l The First Prize of the Humour Salon - Vaslui
l The First Prize of the Humour Salon - Galati
l The First Prize of the Humour Salon “MILCOVIADA”, Focsani, 1993
l The First Prize of the Humour Salon ”THE GOLDEN APPLE”, Bistrita, 1984
l The First Prize of the Humour Salon, Bailesti
l The First Prize of the Humour Salon, Vaslui. POPA’S RECEIVES 58 INTERNATIONAL PRIZES:
l The First Prize - Tokyo, Japan, 1980
l Huriviet Vafki - Istambul, Turkey, 1983
l The Medal of The Fine Art’s Academy from Moscow, 1987
l Belgrade,Yugoslavia, 1985
l The Medal of the Cartoon’s Museum from Warsaw, 1987
l La Marianne, Sainte-Esteve, France, 1990
l Hocipo, Budapest, Hungary, 1991
l The Best of the World for portrait, China, 2002
l The First Prize to Roumasier-Loubert, 2003
l The „Golden Smile”, Belgrade, Serbia, 2006.
