We are proud to announce the 2024 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize Jury Panel, comprising influential figures in the art world, including gallerists, curators, artists, and commercial and philanthropic arts champions. Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Co-Founders Danijela Krha Purssey & Richard Purssey, Directors of Modern Eden Gallery, Kim Larson & Bradley Platz; representatives from our major sponsors, and four esteemed contemporary artists: Michael Parkes, Kirsty Mitchell, Karla Ortiz and Erika Sanada. Each Jury member excels in their field of expertise and is making waves around the world with their exceptional work. Get your work in-front of this respected Jury Panel, enter today.
Giving the practices of representational artists validation and visibility, particularly in the commercial gallery and museum sector where it is still hard to get representation, is what the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize aims to achieve.
Danijela Krha Purssey, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Co-Founder, and Editor-in-Chief
2024 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize Jury Panel
Traditional Art Category
MICHAEL PARKES // Artist
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Michael Parkes’ unique painting style evolved very much in isolation, after a period in which he gave up the practice of art altogether and went to India to study Eastern philosophy for ten years: born in 1944, Michael Parkes was very much of the hippie generation.
Michael Parkes studied graphic art and painting at the University of Kansas and received a Masters from Kent State, Ohio where he perfected a style generally popular for that period, Abstract Expressionism. After his pause for reflection, he began to draw and paint in a different direction with a meticulous style of detailed representation, enabling him to give full expression to his inner world of images.
The style was in principle realistic, the subject matter magical, and Magic Realism has characterised his work ever since.
“We all have troubles, anxiety and worries, and yet we carry something inside us that is untouched by these outside woes. It is peaceful, harmonious, luminous. It is timeless. I paint with that in mind. I try to capture something that is a visual image of these qualities. When someone responds to one of my images, I hope that they are connecting to their own inner space of beauty and calm.“
His first one-man show was in Amsterdam in 1977. Additional one-man exhibitions of Michael Parkes have taken place at Basel Art in Switzerland, Art Chicago, Art Fair NY, Frankfurt Bookfair, Amsterdam Art Fair, Tefaf Art and Antiques Fair Maastricht and numerous exhibitions in galleries in Amsterdam, Madrid, New York and San Francisco from 1977 until the present day.
Photography Category
KIRSTY MITCHELL // Photographer
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Kirsty Mitchell is a British fine art photographer and multi-faceted artist who draws on her past careers in fashion design and costume making, to produce images of beguiling dream-like worlds. Her work is entirely real, for which she spends months meticulously handcrafting all of her costumes, props and sets, which are then assembled and photographed out in the English landscape.
Kirsty rediscovered her passion for photography and began a deeply emotional connection with the medium throughout the treatment of her mother’s terminal cancer in 2008. This turning point in her life became the catalyst to embarking on the creation of her ‘Wonderland’ series, a project intended as a book in her mother’s memory, that took 5 years to complete.
The resulting book went on to become the most successfully funded photography book in crowdfunding history (a title it still holds to this day). Now in its 3rd Edition, it continues to win awards and sell to art lovers globally.
Since 2018 Wonderland has also become an international museum show, with Fotografiska, one the largest establishments for contemporary photography in the world. The series has been exhibited in Sweden, the Royal Palace in Milan, London, Spain, Amsterdam, South Korea, Estonia and multiple cities in the USA. It has been published by Vogue Italia, Harper’s Bazaar, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The British Journal of Photography, The Royal Society of Photography, BBC, and CNN, to name just a few.
Kirsty is currently working on a new long term unreleased project, based on her experience of motherhood and breast cancer which she went through in 2017.
Sculpture Category
ERIKA SANADA // Artist
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Erika Sanada is a California based ceramic sculpture artist. Her early inspirations stem from the creatures and characters of movies, especially horror films.
Watching film was a way of escaping from her bitter childhood, which led her to develop an interest in VFX, movie props making, then art and sculpting itself. Through experimenting with different art mediums, clay was best suited to create what she imagined in her head. Although clay is the primary material in her work, she occasionally incorporates mixed media to add different forms in her work.
Sanada’s ceramic creatures are hand sculpted, often adorable, but feature bizarre elements when you look a bit closer. Her artwork has been shown at a number of art fairs, museums, and both domestic and international galleries. She has also held a solo show at Canton Museum of Art in Ohio. Her work has been featured in Hi-Fructose Magazine, Hey! Magazine, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine and more.
Digital Art Category
KARLA ORTIZ // Artist
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Karla Ortiz is a Puerto Rican, internationally recognized, award-winning artist. With her exceptional design sense, realistic renders, and character-driven narratives, Karla has contributed to many high profile film and TV productions, including Jurassic World, World of Warcraft, Rogue One:A Star Wars Story, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, The Eternals, Loki Season 1 and 2, HBO’s The Nevers and most notably, her design of Doctor Strange for Marvel Studios ’Doctor Strange.
Karla’s work is also recognized in the fine art world, showcasing her figurative and mysterious art in notable galleries, such as Spoke Art and Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco, Nucleus Gallery, Thinkspace and Maxwell Alexander Gallery in LA, and Galerie Arludik in Paris. She currently lives in San Francisco with her cat, Bady.
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine
DANIJELA KRHA PURSSEY // Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine
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Danijela Krha Purssey is an entrepreneur, and the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of Australian based, international contemporary art magazine, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.
She is deeply passionate and committed to her vision to help shift the paradigm in the global contemporary arts industry regarding what is defined and accepted as contemporary art.
Danijela has created a carefully curated, unique contemporary arts experience via all the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine touch points that inspires and champions emerging and mid-career creatives both locally and around the world.
Danijela founded Beautiful Bizarre Magazine in 2013 with her husband, Richard Purssey. In the 10 years since the launch of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine she has published 44 magazines, over 2,800 web articles, curated 18 exhibitions in 4 countries, launched the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, and shared the work of countless creatives from all corners of the globe to both the magazine readership and the magazines 1 Million + social media followers. Beautiful Bizarre Magazine has become not only an influential player in the contemporary art scene, but more importantly a voice, a tribe and platform for creatives whose work doesn’t always fit neatly into the traditional fine art “box”.
In late 2016 Danijela was awarded the prestigious AMP Foundation ‘Tomorrow Makers’ Award, and grant funding in recognition of her services to the visual arts, and to expand Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine
RICHARD PURSSEY // Technical Director & Co-Founder
Beautiful Bizarre Magazine
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Richard Purssey is an ICT Director who is also a lifelong collector and appreciator of modern art. During the life of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Richard has interviewed some of the finest contemporary realist artists from around the world, and been intimately involved in the creation of Beautiful Bizarre as a leading voice in the world of figurative art in all mediums. He has also been closely involved with the fine arts during his time as CIO of one of Australia’s most prestigious public galleries, the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Modern Eden Gallery
KIM LARSON & BRADLEY PLATZ // Owners & Directors
Modern Eden Gallery
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Kim is a small business entrepreneur and successful gallery owner and director, with a background in jewellery making and sculpture.
She is a founding member of ‘North Beach First Fridays’ and is a proud member of the San Francisco Art Dealers Association.
Her passion for art started at a young age and continues today with her private collection and gallery curation.
Bradley is a successful gallery owner and director with a background in fine art painting and Art History.
Over the last 10 years, Platz has planned, curated, installed, juried, and organized contemporary art exhibitions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
He is a strong advocate for ecommerce and content marketing in the Arts. Bradley is also a practicing oil painter.
Arts Champion | Musonium Gallery
TRACEY MAIGNE & KEELEY GERARD // Owner & Curator, and Art Director
Musonium Gallery
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“It’s not about us, it’s about the art” – Tracey Maigne
Hailing from Blackpool, England, mother and son duo, Tracey and Keeley are the proud founders of Musonium Gallery in Palm Springs, California. As a lifelong businesswoman and entrepreneur having been raised in a family of multi-generational business owners, Tracey has always maintained her roots as an ambitious and committed woman who follows her passions to create new opportunities out of them. With all her years of business experience and success, she began to develop a vision for a new venture, one with a passion she shared alongside her son, Keeley.
Being seasoned collectors with an impressive portfolio of original contemporary works contained in a private collection, Tracey and Keeley used their love of art and unique perspective of the world to mould the framework of Musonium Gallery with an emphasis on their European heritage. Focusing on polarizing art influenced by captivating topics such as philosophy, science, history, culture, and conceptual notions of prominent individuality, Tracey and Keeley seek to spark vast conversations that speak to all depths of society. Musonium Gallery’s inherent mission is to challenge perceptions of contemporary art and then take it that extra bit further by adding an inexplicable flair that just makes it the Musonium experience.
Tracey is the proud owner and curator of Musonium Gallery, whom enjoys working closely with artists, developing their image, and fostering creative practices.
Keeley is the creative mind behind Musonium Gallery, whom enjoys crafting thought provoking exhibitions, inspiring artists, and promoting the gallery’s brand.
Arts Champion | Traditional Art
EMILIE DIETRICH // President & Creative Director
RAYMAR
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Emilie is the President and Creative Director of RAYMAR, makers of fine art painting panels used by professional artists worldwide. RAYMAR is a second generation family art supply business that has been dedicated to the craft of fine art materials since 1998.
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame’s business school, Emilie worked as a foreign exchange and commodity broker with the Chicago Board of Trade. Financially successful yet creatively stifled, she left finance in search of a more artistic life and attended Parsons School of Design in NYC. In 2008, Emilie was called to carry on her father’s legacy. She then took up the reins of RAYMAR and grew the company it into what it is today.
As an artist herself, Emilie discovered the importance of good art materials to advance one’s work. Now it is her mission and passion to craft art panels with the world’s finest materials to serve as the foundation for one’s artwork. It is her hope that with the right materials, artists will be empowered to bring their creative visions to life, and ultimately add more beauty and meaning to the world.
Arts Champion | Sculpture
YASHA YOUNG // Founder
Yasha Young Projects
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With a vibrant career spanning over 25 years, Yasha Young stands at the forefront of global art and cultural innovation. She is a celebrated Senior Executive and Curator, renowned for her transformative contributions to some of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions and events, including Humboldt Forum Berlin, MOMA Italy, the United Nations in New York City, Urban Nation Museum of Contemporary Art Berlin and Art Basel MCH Group.
As the visionary Founder and Executive Director of URBAN NATION Berlin (2013-2019), Yasha pioneered the world’s first museum dedicated exclusively to Urban Contemporary Art, a beacon for artists and art enthusiasts worldwide. Her groundbreaking work cemented the museum as a crucible for creative innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.
In her current role as the Concept Developer and Executive Curatorial Director at FOR_M New York City, Yasha continues to redefine cultural boundaries. Her projects, such as the empowering “Women for Women” event in Saudi Arabia and the “Imagine the Future Art Tour” in Iceland, are testaments to her dedication to harnessing art for social engagement and cultural change.
Yasha is not only a curator and an executive but also a thought leader and influencer in the arts. Her insights resonate worldwide through her public speaking engagements, including TED Talks, OMR and SXSW, where she shares her passion for art’s role in shaping societies.
An alumna of Harvard University in Museology and an Associate Professor in Art and Music Business at the Pop Academy Mannheim, Germany, Yasha’s academic background enriches her professional endeavors. Her philanthropic spirit is evident in her support for causes like the Children’s Hospice Berlin Heart and the Keep A Breast Cancer Charity Foundation.
Arts Champion | Emerging Artists
DIDI MENENDEZ // CEO, Marketing Director & Curator
33PA
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Didi Menendez is a Cuban-born American publisher and digital artist. She is the Marketing Director and Curator of Contemporary Realism at 33 Contemporary in Miami. Besides 33 Contemporary, she has curated group shows at Bernarducci, Meisel Gallery, NY, Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, the MEAM in Barcelona, Sirona Fine Art Gallery in Florida, Flinders Lane Gallery in Australia, RJD Gallery in New York, and at the Zhou B Art Center in Chicago.
Didi is considered a pioneer of the online poetry publishing arena since the last century. Her publications have been anthologized in the Pushcart Prize Best of the Small Presses, and Best American Poetry series. She runs a very active figurative art community at 33PA, formerly known as PoetsArtists. A selection of her publications are archived at the United States of America Library of Congress and with the Lunar Codex, a payload scheduled to be archived on the moon by Dr. Samuel Peralta.
Arts Champion | People’s Choice
CATHERINE K. GYLLERSTROM // Collector, Art Consultant, Owner & Art Director
BearWolf Books
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Catherine K. Gyllerstrom is a Greek American art collector, consultant, and the Owner and Art Director of the independent publishing house BearWolf Books.
Her passion for Imaginative Realism and Illustration Art began at an early age and has become the foundation of her work within the arts community. Catherine’s significant private collection spans two continents, houses numerous Chesley and Spectrum Award winning pieces, and has graced the walls of museums across the United States.
After graduating from Harvard University and while pursuing her doctorate in History at Auburn University, Catherine formulated the concept that would become BearWolf Books, a publishing house that specializes in heavily illustrated hardcovers and fine art limited editions. As Art Director, she has worked with a variety of artists and directed pieces that have appeared in the noted art annual Spectrum. Catherine also works with family offices as a consultant for their purchases of original art.
Her current project, a collection of Sheridan le Fanu’s gothic novellas, features the photography of past Beautiful Bizarre Photography Award finalist Psyché Ophiuchus. And, most recently, world-renowned artist Kinuko Y. Craft has contracted with Catherine to catalogue and sell her personal collection of illustrations that have never-before been offered to the public. Through her private and professional pursuits, Catherine remains dedicated to promoting the growth, recognition, and preservation of the creative arts.