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

The Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award is so much more than a prize; it is a promise to artists that their voices matter and their visions deserve to be seen. At a time when the arts face an increasingly uncertain and often hostile climate, with grants and funding harder to secure than ever, it feels even more urgent to create platforms of real support and visibility. 

Sculpture has the power to transform space, to challenge how we move through the world, and to stir emotions we didn’t know we carried. Seeing the depth, courage, and imagination in this year’s entries fills me with pride and excitement for the future of this art form. Supporting these artists is not only an honour, it is my passion.

Yasha Young, Founder of Yasha Young Projects

Thank you & Acknowledgements

Once again, we would like to thank all of the artists that entered and shared their work and their artistic passion with us. It was such a pleasure to immerse ourselves in the work of so many creatives, working across varied mediums and styles, and reading their stories.

Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Danijela Krha Purssey has the pleasure of curating each issue of the magazine and our exhibitions. The Art Prize entries will continue to give her a plethora of new ideas and choices to pursue in future. So thank you again for your interest in the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, we very much hope to see how your work has grown and developed in next year’s Prize.

We would also like to sincerely thank the 2025 Jury Panel, Matthew Stone (Digital Art juror), Nicolas Bruno (Photography juror), Jana Brike, Emilie Dietrich and Professor Dr. Ulrich Seibert (Painting jurors), Vicki Fox and Catherine. K. Gyllerstrom (Emerging Artist jurors), Victoria Olt and Anne Murphy Robinson (Drawing jurors), Yasha Young and Amber Cowan (Sculpture jurors), as well as the Directors of Haven Gallery, Erica Berkowitz and Joseph Weinreb.

To our major sponsors: Erica Berkowitz and Joseph Weinreb, Owners and Directors of Haven Gallery; Victoria Olt, Owner and Director of Victoria Olt Gallery; RAYMAR President & Creative Director, Emilie Dietrich; Yasha Young Projects Founder Yasha Young; and the Owner & Art Director of BearWolf Books, Catherine K. Gyllerstrom; the team over at MPB, and art collector and philanthropist Professor Dr. Ulrich Seibert of the Seibert-Collection – our deepest gratitude for supporting this year’s Prize. It is through your support and generosity that the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize is able to acknowledge and uplift so many incredible artists and photographers from around the world.

As always a huge thanks to the Beautiful Bizarre team for their dedication and hard work on behalf of the prize and winners all-year round, and of course to my partner, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine‘s Co-Founder Richard Purssey.

Our sincere thanks to this year’s Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award sponsors listed below. It is through their generosity that the Sculpture Award Winners will be able to enrich their practice.

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 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.

The Winners in each Award category and the Grand Prize Award Winner will be invited to participate in ‘Reverie’ exhibition at Haven Gallery in Northport, NY, United States later this year, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists! ‘Reverie’ is an international group exhibition curated by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

Congratulations to the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award Winners: Max Leiva, Jessica Murtagh & Forest Rogers!

3rd Prize Winner

Max Leiva

Currently resides: Guatemala

“Nexus” (Bronze, 55 x 14 x 14cm)

Max Leiva was born in Guatemala on January 17, 1966. He studied for three years at the Rafael Rodríguez Padilla National School of Plastic Arts, between 1972 and 1975. In 1988, he enrolled in the National School of Plastic Arts. In 1991, when he was in his third year of studies at the School of Fine Arts, he traveled to Bangkok, Thailand on a UNESCO scholarship to study sculpture at Silpakorn University where he worked in clay and plaster directly with live models. On his return from Bangkok, he decided to set up a small workshop in his mother’s house and began to teach. In 1996, the Guatemalan Olympic Committee gave him his first international commission: a sculpture of a Mayan Ball Player, to be installed at the Olympic Academy in Olympia, Greece. He has participated in important sculpture symposia in different parts of the world and with the support of companies he organized the 1st and 2nd International Sculpture Festival “Guatemala Immortal”. He has been a participant in collective exhibitions and International Art Fairs in Miami, California, Colorado; among others. His most recent solo exhibitions include: Museo de Arte del Salvador (2016), “Pernexus” Guatemala City (2018), “Synopsis” Palm Springs, California (2019) and “Relieves” in Guatemala City (2022) and his last exhibition with Ramon Avila, “Encuentro” (2023). He has also created several public monuments including the Monument to Miguel Angel Asturias in Guatemala City in 1999.

“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.

2nd Prize Winner

Jessica Murtagh

Currently resides: Australia

“Brunch with Narcissus” (Blown glass, sand carved and engraved, 58 x 30 x 30cm)

Jessica Murtagh is an Australian based artist working with blown glass and holds a Master’s in Design (Contemporary Art) from the University of South Australia. Her arts practice leans heavily on illustration, using sandcarving and engraving techniques to create imagery and narratives on glass. Her work is predominantly in the form of vessels, which are both functional and sculptural, ranging from vibrant and dramatic to subdued. She draws inspiration from both the natural world and classical artefacts, contrasted with contemporary themes. Jessica’s narrative work is inspired by antiquities from past societies such as the ancient Athenians. These artefacts made of stone, ceramic, metal and glass give glimpses into the stories of their lives, from godly deeds to tableaus depicting everyday moments. Illustrations of the common, mundane scenes of ordinary people are of particular influence on Murtagh’s body of work and a fascination with history and ancient relics has led to the exploration of what future artefacts could be and to question what our contemporary culture will one day leave behind. She has exhibited in numerous prizes and exhibitions around Australia including at the National Gallery of Victoria for the 2023 Triennial and was awarded the second prize in the inaugural Make Award. Jessica’s work is held in a number of Australian national galleries and was recently collected by the Geelong Gallery, the Powerhouse Museum and the National Gallery of Victoria.

“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?

1st Prize Winner

Forest Rogers

Currently resides: United States

“Winter Siren” (Japanese air-dry clay, mulberry paper, wood, armature wire, acrylic paints & ink, 21 x 5 x 5″)

Forest Rogers, child of two painters, has been a professional artist all of her adult life. She received an MFA in Costume Design from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Forest applied her studies to an eclectic series of projects, from working with paleontologists to produce dinosaur model prototypes and other nature-related toys to painting liturgical murals. She is now focused on her own visions, with an emphasis on myth, fairy tale and the surreal. She expresses her ideas primarily in sculpture.

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