Entries to the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize have officially closed and the judging process is now underway. Our sincere thanks to all of the artists and photographers that entered. We are very excited with the array of entries and have already discovered a host of new creators!
We’re thrilled not only by the discovery of new artists but also by the return of those who have participated in previous years. Witnessing the evolution of their work is truly a delight.
This year’s entries have showcased a stunning variety of styles and themes—from enchanting fantasy and intriguing contemporary surrealism, to captivating dark art and unconventional figurative portraits. Your creativity continues to impress us!
~ Danijela Krha Purssey
We are always excited to see artists who entered in previous years entering again this year. As we have mentioned before, every year is a new Art Prize complete with a new Jury Panel who choose the Winners.
A truly international Art Prize
Artists from 110 different countries entered the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize!
We have received entries from an incredible 110 different countries this year – wow!! Entries have been received from: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, DR Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Réunion, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Việt Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Entries were received in various Traditional mediums across the fields of ink and graphite drawing, collage, painting, printing, etching, and mixed media. We have received sculptures in many mediums including polymer clays, resins, stone and semi precious stones, metal, glass, paper, organic materials such as wool, leaves and wood; textiles, plaster, ceramics, found and second hand objects, magnets, and even climbing ropes! The Photography category provided the opportunity for fine art photographers from around the world to enter both their digital and analogue photography, utilising numerous equipment to bring their ideas to life. Last but not least, the Digital Art category has seen an array of digital painters, digital sculptors, digital 3D artists and photomanipulation artists enter, and in-line with our business ethos, AI-generated art has not been eligible to enter.
Judging Underway
Thanks to this process, our Editor-in-Chief Danijela Krha Purssey and her team have once again discovered a remarkable amount of incredible new talent which will inform the curation of the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine and our international group exhibitions going forward. We look forward to sharing with you more of these wonderful entries over the coming weeks and months! The December issue will also feature a 10 page in-depth interview with the Grand Prize Award Winner of the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, and another special editorial showcasing the Winners in each Award category. Purchase a print subscription now to make sure you don’t miss out on this and many other inspiring stories.
Judging has now commenced by this year’s Jury Panel. The Jury Panel is made up of: Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Co-Founders Danijela Krha Purssey & Richard Purssey, Owners & Directors of Haven Gallery, Erica Berkowitz & Joseph Weinreb; representatives from our major sponsors: President and Creative Director of RAYMAR, Emilie Dietrich; arts entrepreneur Yasha Young, Owner and Art Director of BearWolf Books Catherine K. Gyllerstrom; Founder of Victoria Olt Gallery, Victoria Olt; Art Collector, Law Professor & Philanthropist Ulrich Seibert, along with Owner & Director of Quirky Fox Gallery, Vicki Fox.
These are joined by esteemed contemporary artists: Jana Brike (Painting juror), Annie Murphy-Robinson (Drawing juror), Nicolas Bruno (Photography juror), Amber Cowan (Sculpture juror) and Matthew Stone (Digital Art juror) who will be reviewing work in their respective areas of expertise.
As you can imagine, this is NOT an easy job with so many exceptional entries in all categories! Stay tuned for the big reveal soon.
2025 Award Categories
- Grand Prize Award
- RAYMAR Painting Art Award
- Victoria Olt Gallery Drawing Award
- MPB Photography Award
- Digital Art Award
- Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award
- Catherine K. Gyllerstrom Emerging Artist Award
- People’s Choice Award Winner: $1,000 USD + prizes [public voting opens in August]
- Seibert-Collection Honourable Mention: $3,000 USD & Prizes [This year we have a special Seibert-Collection Honourable Mention chosen by Platinum sponsor and Juror, art collector and philanthropist Prof. Dr. Ulrich Seibert from the Painting Award entrants]
Timeframes & Deadlines
8 – 11 August 2025: Judging
12 August onward: Shortlist of 150 Finalists [25 per award category: Digital Art, Photography, Sculpture, Drawing, Painting, and Emerging Art Award] announced
22 August 2025 [AEDT, Australian Eastern Daylight Time]: People’s Choice voting opens
5 September 2025 [Midnight Los Angeles, USA time]: People’s Choice voting closes
Week of the 12th of September: Winners announced
12 September 2024: Catherine K. Gyllerstrom Emerging Artist Award winners announced
16 September 2024: Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award winners announced
17 September 2024: MPB Photography Award winners announced
18 September 2025: Digital Art Award winners announced
19 September 2025: Victoria Olt Gallery Drawing Award winners announced
20 September 2025: RAYMAR Painting Award winners announced
21 September 2025: Grand Prize Award, Honourable Mentions & People’s Choice Award announced
25 October 2025: Beautiful Bizarre curated exhibition ‘Reverie’ opens Haven Gallery in Northport, NY, USA, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists. (Note: Winners of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize will be invited to exhibit a work in the ‘Reverie’ exhibition in October 2025 at Haven Gallery. Winners may exhibit their prize winning entry if it was created within 12 months of the entry date, and not hung in any other exhibition or prize previously. Work already exhibited or hung in a Prize will not be accepted to the ‘Reverie’ exhibition. If the prize winning work is not eligible to be exhibited in the exhibition, or if the artist chooses, they may create a new work for the exhibition.)
Until then, enjoy some of the wonderful entries below in the Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award and the MPB Photography Award. See more of the Digital Art Award and Catherine K. Gyllerstrom Emerging Artist Award entries here.
We will be publishing again sharing the Victoria Olt Gallery Drawing Award and RAYMAR Painting Award entries very soon – stay tuned!
“Lullaby for Earth and Sky Opus 8”, ceramic sculpture
“Fall of Jericho”, Plaster sculpture
“Orpheus’ Dream”, Digital photograph. Model: Belle Monsees.
“The Duke”, Digital photograph.
“Tibbin-Bibbin”, Polymer clay, air-dry clay, acrylics, wire, and thread sculpture
“Smith Mountain Lake Pietà”, Analogue Photography (layered poloroids).
“Hang”, Oil paint on Sheet of Silver
“The King and The Fly”, glazed ceramic
“Drift”, Urethane resin, foam, steel, epoxy sculpture
“Survivor”, resin, vintage kimono, epoxy putty, glass eye, synthetic hair (acrylic), bell, paper, lacquer paints, acrylic paints, and enamel paints
“The Frog Prince”, Bronze, sterling silver crown, antique silver goblet sculpture
“The Source”, Bronze sculpture
“Dormancy”, Digital photography. Model: Iza Lens.
“Joan”, Stoneware clay, underglaze, clear glaze, 22 k gold luster overglaze sculpture
“Renée”, Blown and flameworked glass, silver stain sculpture
“Vortigarr”, found wood, adhesives and pin nails sculpture
“Golden Viking ship”, Wire, mixed media sculpture
“Talisman”, Analogue Photography.
“Web of Lies”, Porcelain / Oil / Cotton Cord sculpture
“The Twins Kythos – Gathering the Night”, Bronze sculpture
“Women Gathering Water (Glass hydria)”, Blown glass, sandcarved and engraved
“The Alligator”, porcelain, stoneware, underglaze, glaze, gold luster sculpture
“Holding Close”, Digital photography.
“Story Of The Transformation”, Resin and clay sculpture
“Knight Athena”, UV resin, white casting resin, wood
“SIX FEET APART”, Mixed Media, Newspaper, acrylic, upholstery trim
“Behind the clouds the sky is always blue”, Japanese stone clay, Japanese paper, viscose, wool, resin, acrylics
“Poppy Blossom”, Digital photograph. Model: Le Khanh Quach.
“The Messenger”, Colorado Marble and Brazilian Citrine sculpture
“Louis’ Chair”, Antique chair reupholstered with Lycra, stitch, paper mache, embroidery silk
“Echo”, Digital photograph. Model: Maria Kinosian.
“Carrusel de pegasus”, Resin,metal and leather sculpture
“Communion”, Digital Photograph. Model: Arianna Bonardi.
“Essence”, digital photograph. Makeup artist: Taylor Zemlak, Model: Kenzi Tourand.
“Miserere”, Digital Photograph
“Climate Crisis”, Ceramic sculpture
“Maluscious”, Digital photograph. Model: Willa Lavinia – MUA: Candice Grice, Cassandra Zeppa.
“Venus”, Digital photograph. Model: Denisa Strakova.
“A.I. That Developed Emotions”, Digital photograph. Model: kojikoji Hair & Makeup: kojikoji Stylist: kojikoji.
“Petalhead”, Earthenware clay and glaze sculpture
Yulia Lermak
“Taming the Tide”, Digital photograph.
“Apple Town”, Porcelain, underglaze, glaze sculpture
“Sock Head”, Earthenware, underglaze, glaze
“Inhale the Flame”, Digital photograph.
“FreeDoom”, Digital photograph. Model: Fae Muirina Designer for the mermaid tail: Cynthia Brault- Cyntault Creations Done at Studio La Photoshoot