Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize 2025: Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award Finalists Announced

The unveiling continues! Sculptors, you have impressed us immensely this year and we have seen a diverse range of works within the Yasha Young Sculpture Award – choosing the finalists has been incredibly difficult.

Our Jury Panel – including esteemed sculptor Amber Cowan and Arts Champion Yasha Young – have been going through the entries and making the incredibly difficult decisions. Once again, the overall quality of entries was exceptional; we are deeply honoured by our community’s interest in the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize.

We have received sculptures in many mediums including polymer clays, resins, stone and semi precious stones, metal, glass, paper, latex, organic materials such as wool, leaves, bone and wood; textiles, plaster, ceramics, sugar, found and second hand objects, magnets, and even climbing ropes! The innovation and imagination of the artists who have entered has amazed us. Every year we are introduced to new ideas and levels of experimentation.

The Prizes

Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award

The Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award 1st prize winner will receive:

• $3,000 USD cash, generously donated by Yasha Young Projects, arts philanthropist and Executive Curatorial Director for the FOR_M, a new institution currently being developed in New York city.
• $400 USD worth of services from Stan Winston School, including an all-access 1 year subscription which includes unlimited access to their Course Library by The Masters of FX, with new courses added every month. Plus exclusive access to the Behind-the-Scenes Documentary stream.
• $250 USD worth of supplies of your choice from Sculpey, making polymer oven-bake clays for over 50 years.
• A beautiful, specially commissioned glass art award trophy.
• The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Haven Gallery in Northport, NY, USA, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists.
• Exposure to a successful commercial gallery’s collector base with the opportunity to sell their work.
• 3 month social media advertising package (Beautiful Bizarre Magazine: 2 million+ followers across all social media platforms).
• Winning artwork printed in the December 2025 issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, as part of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize editorial.
• Exclusive in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine websites + shared across Beautiful Bizarre Magazine social media.
• Profile listing [including artwork gallery] on the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory for 12 months. The go-to platform for artists, curators and collectors to discover exceptional artists and explore their work.A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

2nd prize winner will receive:

• $1,000 USD cash, generously donated by Yasha Young Projects, arts philanthropist and Executive Curatorial Director for the FOR_M, a new institution currently being developed in New York city.
• $220 USD worth of services from Stan Winston School, including a 3 month subscription including full access to the entire course library. Plus exclusive access to the Behind-the-Scenes Documentary stream.
• The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Haven Gallery in Northport, NY, USA, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists.
• Exposure to a successful commercial gallery’s collector base with the opportunity to sell their work.
• Exclusive in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine websites + shared across Beautiful Bizarre Magazine social media.
• Profile listing [including artwork gallery] on the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Artist Directory for 12 months. The go-to platform for artists, curators and collectors to discover exceptional artists and explore their work.
• A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

3rd prize winner will receive:

• $500 USD cash, generously donated by Yasha Young Projects, arts philanthropist and Executive Curatorial Director for the FOR_M, a new institution currently being developed in New York city.
• $100 USD worth of services from Stan Winston School, including a 1 month subscription including full access to the entire course library. Plus exclusive access to the Behind-the-Scenes 
• The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Haven Gallery in Northport, NY, USA, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists.
• Exposure to a successful commercial gallery’s collector base with the opportunity to sell their work.
• Exclusive in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine websites + shared across Beautiful Bizarre Magazine social media.
• Profile listing [including artwork gallery] on the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Artist Directoryfor 12 months. The go-to platform for artists, curators and collectors to discover exceptional artists and explore their work.
• A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

The 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.

From the 175 Finalists across all Award categories, the Jury Panel will select the Grand Prize Award Winner.

The Grand Prize Award Winner of the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize will receive:

• $10,000 USD cash, donated by our Platinum sponsors Catherine K. Gyllerstrom, MPB, RAYMAR, Yasha Young Projects, Victoria Olt Gallery, and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Seibert.
• A beautiful, specially commissioned glass art award trophy.
• The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Haven Gallery in Northport, NY, USA, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists.
• Exposure to a successful commercial gallery’s collector base with the opportunity to sell their work.
• 10 page in-depth interview editorial published in Beautiful Bizarre MagazineDecember 2025 issue.
• Winning artwork printed in the December 2025 issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, as part of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize editorial.
• Exclusive in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine websites + shared across Beautiful Bizarre Magazine social media.
• Profile listing [including artwork gallery] on the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory for 12 months. The go-to platform for artists, curators and collectors to discover exceptional artists and explore their work.
• 12 month social media advertising package (Beautiful Bizarre Magazine: 2 million+ followers across all social media platforms).
• A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

People’s Choice Award

The People’s Choice Award Winner will be selected by popular vote from the 175 Finalists [25 per Award category: Drawing, Digital Art, Photography, Sculpture and Emerging Artist Award, and 50 for the Painting Award category]. The People’s Choice Award Winner will receive $1,000 USD cash, generously donated by the Co-Founders of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine and a Deco Pro (Gen2) MW, generously donated by XPPen.

Voting will open on 22 August [AEDT, Australian Eastern Daylight Time]. To ensure you don’t miss your chance to vote, please join our email mailing list here.

Additionally, the People’s Choice Award Winner will enjoy a year’s worth of social media advertising through the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine to ensure they are able to connect with the right audience, raise their profile, and of course to grow their social media following. They will also enjoy a Profile listing [including artwork gallery] on the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory for 12 months, plus a 12 month Beautiful Bizarre Magazine print subscription, and an in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine and Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize websites, giving readers an insight into their vision and practice!

In addition, each sponsor will choose one outstanding work from their award category to receive an Honourable Mention. Stay tuned to learn more!

The MPB Photography Award, Digital Art Award, RAYMAR Painting Award and Victoria Olt Gallery Drawing Award Finalists will be announced later this week.

So without further ado we are proud to announce the Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award Finalists of the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize…

Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Finalists

2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize

Resilience stands as a testament to the enduring capacity of the human spirit to overcome adversity. The intertwined branches shaping the wolf’s form symbolize nature’s resilience—a remarkable ability to bend and adapt without breaking. Rooted firmly in the ground, the wolf’s unwavering stance emphasizes the importance of anchoring ourselves in our beliefs and values amidst chaos and turmoil. Encircled by a swirling blizzard, this wolf’s journey mirrors life’s unpredictable trials, where the path forward is obscured and the outcome uncertain. Yet, amidst the storm’s fury, the wolf embodies faith and trust in the unseen—a belief that there is a path forward, even when it cannot be seen.

Goddess (2025) by Xavier Escala and Nina Murashkina re-imagines the medieval shrine Madonna through a contemporary feminist lens. This new work, part of a series started in 2018, explores the divine within the human — a woman who becomes a vessel of feminine power. Symbolic details such as the lunar crown and feline figures reference ancient goddesses like Hathor and Cybele. It also responds to a history in which female icons were altered or erased, affirming the equal spiritual authority of women and men.

Brunch with Narcissus re-imagines the ancient Greek amphora in blown glass, blending classical form with contemporary context. Instead of mythological scenes, this vessel depicts a familiar modern weekend ritual, brunch. Friends pose for the ‘gram and a woman stands before a curated selfie wall, mirroring Narcissus’ obsession with his own reflection. The smart phone and selfie are so ubiquitous in contemporary culture and casual behaviour that it’s simply an accepted part of life. By placing them on a form traditionally used to record and preserve, the work reflects on how we present ourselves, what we memorialise and how these moments might be seen through the lens of history. What will future civilizations one day make of our lives lived through the glowing screen of the smart phone?

As an artist, I’ve grown with technology and seen how it has influenced how art is made and perceived. As a dad, I’ve seen how technology has changed how young people experience the world. A.I. is here, and growing, and learning. I am curious to see how we as people continue to evolve with fast evolution of technology.

“The Messenger” Colorado marble and Brazilian citrine. Masks have always held a certain mystique, and seem to be universally striking and emotive. However, they definitively have an emptiness to them. What if a mask was alive? What if it was more than a shell to be filled by a hidden face? These ideas are at play within this work. The subject is an archetypal conceptualization of the “The Messenger,” a spiritual being who enters our reality bringing wisdom, warnings, encouragement, or judgment from the realm beyond the veil. It’s a theme that grows out of classical and global traditions, as well as being inspired by experiences of a more personal nature.

As the title suggests this sculpture is all about resisting. But resisting against what? Life’s challenges, difficulties, perhaps the political climate. This sculpture shows that no matter what you’re facing in life, you have to give everything you have to resist and stay calm. The character represented in the sculpture is slowly being shattered and blown away by a mysterious and invisible threat. His body is decomposing and exploding in million pieces. But despite what he is facing, the character is staying calm and focused. He is giving everything he has to resist and fight. With this sculpture I wish to send a message of hope, that with any difficult situation some good can come out if we keep fighting and resisting for a better future.

Knight Athena is a sculptural reinterpretation of the Greek goddess Athena, known for her wisdom and strength in battle, viewed through a darker and more mysterious lens. I aimed to express a quiet strength and a vigilant presence hidden within silence – graceful, yet commanding. This work fuses elements of classical mythology with a modern, cinematic atmosphere. Through intricate detailing and subtle contrasts, I sought to evoke both beauty and power. Knight Athena explores the duality of intellect and warfare, and the timeless, enduring strength of the feminine spirit that exists in shadow and stillness.

Lamento Ustible explores the erosion of freedom of speech in modern society. At its core is the image of a female face (untainted essence of the human spirit) silenced by genderless hands – a collective complicity: voices that speak of truth, justice and identity are subdued by societal norms, political agendas, and fear of dissent. In one hand is a limp pigeon, the emblem of peace and liberty, now lifeless, marking the death of free expression. When light is cast upon the sculpture. Its shadow unveils two silhouettes with fists defiantly raised. Symbolizing that when voices are extinguished, resistance will ignite. A mirror invites the viewer to confront their own role: Are you a witness? A participant? The sculpture forces a reckoning: freedom of speech is a fragile, flammable force.

With a love for ancient mythology and symbolism, this Birdgirl is part of a growing flock I began a few years ago. The fusing of bird and human forms, re-imagines mythical creatures like the Siren, Harpy, and Peri, drawing on symbols of transformation, freedom, and power, while placing them in a contemporary context.

The “Femme-Bridge” series draws on two main sources of inspiration: my fascination with civil engineering structures – for their formal beauty and metaphorical power as vectors of transmission – and my desire to present a feminine perspective on beauty. I depict women as strong, mature, calm, and confident, in contrast to mainstream ideals rooted in youth, fragility, and sexualization. The sense of life and sensitivity in the figure matters more than realism. The scale contrast between woman and bridge, and the coloured resin veil, are integral to the work, inviting reflection on the whole ensemble.

Illuminating our dark side, in this gesture, almost childish, we come out to recognize that child who was the guardian of our first perceptions and emotions. Enthroned in its innocence and tender gaze, the work reveals the archetype of the dog. We all have a dark side and a light side. Light and dark represent fundamental dichotomies such as good and evil, knowledge and ignorance, divine presence and absence. Hecate: In dreams, the appearance of a vicious dog or a black dog can usually be considered a reference to Cerberus, to the dark and dangerous aspect of the unconscious that must be treated with care and respect, throwing it its due bite.

Little Miss Kettlebell with a side of Coagulated Tea draws from childhood nostalgia to explore the unseen burdens of womanhood. A glossy kettlebell disguised as a purse spills objects tied to chronic pain, endometriosis, and medical dismissal. A broken mirror and scattered pills echo hormonal imbalance and limited treatment options. An unpeeled banana and tampon-laced tea confront sexual pain and menstruation. The tea’s ear-shaped handle urges us to listen – to each other, to our bodies. In playful colours and sarcastic tones, the work challenges what we normalize, highlighting resilience shaped by silence and the fight to be heard.

As a child, I was invited to work in the studio of an old Greek icon painter. For the many years that I sculpted in his studio, he delighted me with tales of the Greek myths. It was then that the link between storytelling and art became inseparable. I have been creating a series of bronze sculptures based on stories from an original mythology that I am writing. Each piece depicts a pivotal moment in one of the stories, and, as the stories give rise to the sculptures, the sculptures also inspire the tales. “Dusk” is the twin sister of Dawn in my stories. She is playing the aulos or twin pipes, gathering the shadows to flow together and bring forth the night (represented by the cloth). Her Pipes are in the shape of creatures of the evening, the fox and the nightingale.

Winter Siren roosts in the far north, deep in the wildwood, awaiting the return of the Sun.

Isabelle Jeandot’s artistic research is characterized by a poetic exploration of the mysterious nature of our reality. Inspired by the idea that our five senses do not capture the full richness of existence, she seeks to transcend the boundaries of perception and logic by creating interface works, open doors to the unknown, invitations to pass “through the looking glass.” The orchestration of plant forms within her sculptures guides the eye and accompanies the visitor on an introspective journey: the branches, foliage, and fronds, precisely modeled and then cast in bronze, suggest secret gardens, sacred spaces, and passages to other dimensions.

This sculpture is a joint collaboration between Julia Burns and Stephanie Rosendorf, exploring the beauty and strangeness of the swamp, where life and decay exist side by side. The porcelain alligator, covered in delicate fungi, moss and botanical forms, reflects nature’s quiet and constant cycles. Made of fragile porcelain, a material both enduring and breakable, the piece plays with contrasts: predator and bloom, permanence and rot, elegance and eeriness. The black stoneware base grounds the alligator in a dark, earthen landscape, evoking its murky habitat. It’s a tribute to overlooked ecosystems, where the bizarre becomes beautiful and decay is not an end, but part of life’s rhythm.

This work expresses the sadness of being the one left behind, watching someone you love walk away. The title “Hang” carries two meanings: in English, it suggests a tragic ending; in Korean, it means to leave. I reflected this emotional conflict through the image of a crying girl, naked and exposed. Although the figure looks like torn paper, it is made of a 0.3mm thick fine silver plate. I melted the edges, painted the portrait directly on the surface, and folded it like a paper doll. The contrast between the fragile appearance and the strength of the material reflects the feeling of quiet pain and resilience. This folding method also connects to my mother, who was a paper artist. It was the first way I ever communicated with her through making, not words.

The mythological figure of Narcissus, with his character and significance, provides a universal description of attitudes frequently encountered throughout the ages, building a definition of the phenomenon of narcissism, whose resources have accompanied humanity virtually forever. The figure of Narcissus, a figure that permeates human history, existing between modernity and eternity, inspires me, becoming the subject of my own reflections and actions. The sculpture “NARCISSUS” is my doctoral dissertation, carried out at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. It is a creation of a contemporary Narcissus, stemming from subjective observations of the world and people, supported by sociological, psychological, and historical literature, transferred from word and thought into the world of art.

This work, “Survivor,” is themed around the dignity of facing life’s difficulties with resolve and enduring through them. I created her, entrusting this very sentiment to her. The bag clutched in her hand symbolizes sustenance for life, and the piece depicts the moment she looks straight ahead, about to take a small yet powerful step forward. Old kimonos, having served their purpose and fading from people’s memories, were repurposed to breathe new life into her. Like people and objects, continuously fading from memory or being recalled, they shine powerfully until their very last moment. This work poses a question about that universal radiance.

This sculpture features six figures, each embodying a stage of grief and metamorphosis: denial, losing mind, unbinding entanglement, searching, fabric weaving, and ascension through integration. Conceived during a profound life shift and completed in July, it grew out of two years of crisis and reflection. I let the clay evolve intuitively, dancing through dense waves of emotion. For me, art is a portal for healing and understanding. This sculpture preserves the raw, deeply human growing journey of becoming whole.

Nexus attempts to reflect an inner experience: the profound dependence that can exist between human beings. Sometimes symbiotic, sometimes codependent. Can we truly sustain ourselves without “the other”? Is an object, a tree, a pet enough to fill that void? What does it mean to create bonds, to engender, to inherit the gaze? In times when the human bond seems to weaken – due to noise, haste, or uncertainty – this work reminds us, without stridency, the need to preserve what connects us.

The work resembles a suspended question mark, symbolizing a challenge to societal norms. Through the repetitive sewing and wrapping of fibers, the scars and repairs represent society’s gaze on marginalized groups while offering the potential for self-healing. I view this labour-intensive process as central to my creation. The act of stitching represents a dialogue between body and materials – where historical wounds from stereotypes and discrimination can be transformed into strength through reexamination and repair. The suspended question mark raises an inquiry: Do societal rules protect us or limit us? Through the work’s form, I hope viewers reflect on their attitudes toward “difference,” exploring the balance of fragility and resilience.

Rinaldo’s characters are sculptures where the unreal combines with the real, and fantasy acts as a call to reflection. They seem to come from a familiar, yet parallel, place, to tell us their story. A story in which we intuit a past, a future, but whose true power lies in its present. Fragile animals, prosthetics, elderly figures, incomplete beings, or impossible metamorphoses cast in bronze. The metal as contrast to their delicate appearances. Resilient bronze. Preciousness as a legacy of Rinaldo’s skill as a goldsmith. Like a talisman against impermanence, the figure, human or animal, is a map he uses to anchor the traces of time. He is interested in transformations, borders, journeys, and the wounds that change us becoming prostheses, which colonize us like mussels on the hull of a ship.

Still Standing, a female figure stands barefoot in a forest of decorative ornamentation, awkwardly enclosed in the remnants of a hoop skirt, her hands clasped behind her back. Flourish marks appear as scars of internalized expectations of beautification through fashion. Her hairdo seems an attempt to subdue unruly strands. Steeped in the traditions of figurative art, this realistic ceramic and portrait is loosely based on a person. Intended to initiate internal dialogue and spark conversation, the figure offers an invitation to “Stand”, to be present and persistent. The life scale, realistic color and detail of the figure confronts the viewer in real space, exposed and individual, particular rather than ideal as seen through the lens of a woman’s experience and truth.

A pigeon is nesting in the remains of civilization, a broken CD player.