He was born on July 17, 1971, in a village in the Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh. He graduated from Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, and completed a Diploma in Computer Management in Varanasi in 1995. He lived and worked for 21 years in the Lutyens’ Zone of New Delhi and is currently based in INA, New Delhi.
From 2003 to 2005, he worked as a cartoonist and illustrator for a leading national Hindi newspaper, contributing a daily pocket cartoon published across multiple states and cities in India. Since 2006, he has worked as a freelance artist and cartoonist. Over the years, thousands of his political and general cartoons, illustrations, cover pages, and satirical poems have been published in leading newspapers and magazines across India.
International Reach
Paliwal’s work has been exhibited in more than 20 countries, including Poland, Croatia, Russia, Macedonia, Ukraine, USA, Brazil, Türkiye, Argentina, Italy, and Greece. A landmark moment in his career came in 2012, when his artwork was published alongside the work of Pablo Picasso in the catalogue of the globally renowned Osten World Gallery of Drawing, Macedonia. His cartoons have featured in the catalogue of the Osten World Gallery of Cartoon across three different years. In 2015, his cartoons were exhibited in the Polish Parliament, and a short biography and artwork were featured in Croatia’s Forum magazine. His biography and artwork were also published on the back cover of the All India Fine Arts and Crafts Society (AIFACS), New Delhi magazine in 2012.
Some of his other notable international participations (selected works) include:
- Cartoons selected for the International Exhibition for Cheerful Skyscrapers, displayed at various locations in Poland (2014-2015)
- Exhibition at the 43rd and 44th Osten World Gallery of Cartoons, Skopje (2014)
- Caricature published in a book on Prof. Atila Ozer (2014)
- International “8 March Women’s Rights Day” Cartoon Exhibition, Antalya, Türkiye (2013 and 2014)
- Solo exhibition at AIFACS, New Delhi (2012)
- International Contest of Visual Art, “Fun in Vasylivka Style”, Ukraine (2011)
- International Social Illustration Contest “Nuntius Imago”, Argentina (2011)
- International Cartoon Exhibition on “Unemployment”, Hymettus, Greece (2011)
- Oscarfest International Cartoon Exhibition, Osor, Croatia (2010 and 2011)
- Exhibition at the Osten World Gallery of Cartoons, Skopje (2011)
- International Car Cartoon Contest, Zagreb, Croatia (2010)
- International Competition on Drawing for Women, Jaka Bede, Poland (2010)
Between 2013 and 2018, his photographs of famous Indian landmarks, featuring the Good Humor Party’s Happy Skyscraper motif, were exhibited in several countries and published in international newspapers and journals.
Good Humor Party (India Ambassador)
For the past 13 years, Santosh Paliwal has served as the India head (Ambassador) of the Good Humor Party, a globally recognised satire organisation headquartered in Poland with over 5,000 members, primarily cartoonists and satirists, worldwide. The organisation’s head, Szczepan Sadurski, frequently references Paliwal’s contributions during his international lectures. In 2015, Paliwal was awarded the “Super Boss” certificate by the Good Humor Party. His cartoons for the organisation’s Happy Skyscraper project have been exhibited in more than 15 countries.
Recognition and Awards
In 2026, Paliwal received the Extraordinary General Ambassador recognition from the World Caricature Institute, Poland. In 2025, he was honoured at Talkatora Stadium, New Delhi, alongside the former Director General of Police of Gujarat. He has received diplomas from Ukraine (Visual Art, Vasylivka) and Argentina (Social Illustration, Nuntius Imago), as well as a certificate from Fenamizah magazine, Türkiye. He has also been honoured with the Himalaya Aur Hindustan Award from Rishikesh, Uttarakhand (2006) and letters of appreciation from former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Jaiveer Singh (2005) and renowned sculptor Ram Sutar (2012).
His biography and work are featured on cartoonia.gallery (the Big Encyclopedia of Caricature), Toonsmag, and several other national and international publications. Alumni from Harvard and Cambridge have written articles about him. He is a long-standing member of the Press Club of India, with over ten years of continuous membership.
Other Contributions
Paliwal has authored articles on prominent Indian personalities for an international website, covering figures such as artist Jatin Das, classical dancer Shovana Narayan, sculptor Ram Sutar, and cartoonist Kaak. He has served as Art Advisor (Art Director) for a non-governmental organisation in Lucknow. In 2020, he created tactile art illustrations for a Delhi-based NGO’s calendar, designed to be experienced through touch. In 2026, this NGO showcased his work at the National Museum in New Delhi. He has also received invitations to deliver lectures at IIT Roorkee (2017) and TEDx Bengaluru (2020).
These details represent only a fraction of Paliwal’s extensive body of work.
Note: Hard and soft copies of all mentioned works are available.