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List of finalists for the Luxembourg Art Prize

List of finalists for the 2024 Luxembourg Art Prize

Group 1

Agata Borowska

▸ 50 years old, Poland, Mixed media on paper
"I paint and draw, but I most often express myself through collage. This technique requires patience and calm, offering me a form of meditation and inner dialogue. I start by selecting two or three elements that will serve as the foundation of the piece. My inspiration arises from the colors, shapes, and textures of materials, especially colorful magazine papers. I also like to draw from my love of botanical gardens, exotic flowers, the sea, and deserted islands to compose an imaginary paradise, an escape that invites one to journey beyond everyday life."

"Untitled," 2023, Analog collage, paper, 29.7 x 21 cm (12 x 8 in.)

DIGIGLA

▹ 30 years old, Japan, Photography and AI, 2nd participation
"I am a graphic designer and digital makeup artist, and in my daily work, I often visit film sets for posters and magazine photo shoots. However, with the rapid evolution of AI technologies, I feel that our industry is undergoing a major transformation. AI opens up new creative possibilities and redefines how we work. In portrait creation, I actively integrate AI, which offers me means of expression that are impossible to achieve with traditional makeup. This allows me to explore new forms of beauty, blending reality and imagination, to produce unique and impactful visuals."

"Untitled" 2024, digital art, 42x42 cm (16.5 x 16.5 in.)

Maud Escudier

▸ 26 years, France, Decorative Arts (Textile)
"I am looking to create an alternative to textile fibers from intensive farming by using Allo, a variety of Himalayan nettle. This invasive plant, sustainably harvested in Nepal, requires neither pesticides nor irrigation and enriches the soil. I explore the different qualities of Allo yarn, with natural and imperfect textures, to reveal its beauty through natural dyes derived from organic farming. Through my collection Stinging Alternatives, I propose a plant-based textile symbolizing resistance to industrial agriculture. My goal is to evoke a return to diversity and promote a punk vision of rewilding, essential for an ecological future."

"Fallow Weaving", 2023, Weaving: Wild Allo Fiber Textile and Swiss Organic Hemp with Natural Dyes of Weld, Cochineal, and Fermented Indigo Leaves, 46x68 cm (18x27 in.)

Jaakko Heikkilä

▹ 68 years old, Finland, Photography
"I am a visual artist, fascinated by water and its deep connection with humanity. I began my career in the Tornio river valley, on the border between Finland and Sweden, where my culture inspired my first works. Over time, my projects have explored the lives of minorities, often marginalized or faced with change: Armenians, Pomors, Vlachs, African Americans of Harlem, and many others. Water is at the heart of my creations: it symbolizes life, beauty, slowness, and natural light, which I capture without artificial means, seeking a timeless visual purity."

"Mirror of the Water 1, Venice," 2010, Digital Colour print, variable dimensions

Shino Hirata

▸ 50 years old, Japan, Painting
"I am an artist who creates without limiting myself to shapes or locations, exploring the abstract, illustration, and murals. I strive to combine my academic knowledge with my personal reflections to give form to my works. My recurring themes include plants, life, and maps. For example, when working on a map, I explore geological layers and ancient maps, then integrate my own vision. My creations, often inspired by division and regeneration, are a celebration of life itself. I am deeply moved by the resilience of plants, which serve as a source of endless inspiration and respect."

"Plants Skin," 2019, Acrylic gouache and oil on canvas, 145 x 112 cm (57 x 44 in.)

Thibault Laget-Ro

▸ 48 years, France, Painting, 9th participation
"In 2011, inspired by the Arab Spring and the revolts in North Africa, I began to paint struggles, exoduses, and dreams of elsewhere. This work, spread over a decade, reflects the Greek and Spanish beaches, where mass tourism and clandestine migrations intersect. In 2019, the 'epic' journey of migrants from Central America to the United States resonated with my work, now focused on these agricultural workers, exploited in a dream turned trap. My latest works, like 'L'arbre bonbon,' evoke a mythical Garden of Eden, where freedom and oppression confront each other."

"The Candy Tree," 2022, Acrylic and brush only, 150x150 cm (59x59 in.)

Juan Pixelecta

▹ 54 years old, Spain, Photography
"I am a photographer, passionate about capturing unique moments and creating unseen images. My journey has taken me from the mountains of northern Spain to the enchanting landscapes of the Alps and Iceland, where I developed a particular technique: double exposure in misty forests. For three years, I refined this art, playing with contrasts of temperature and atmosphere, notably in my series "Digital Mist I." Using the cold spring fogs in the Urbasa forest, I achieve painterly effects that blend reality and magic, a poetic approach that reveals the mysterious power of nature."

"DIGITAL MIST I," 2023, Double photographic exposure with different temperatures, variable dimensions

Bill Vincent

▹ 71 years, Canada (Ontario & Québec), Painting
"Concerned with the passage of time, I explore in my work the themes of life and death, as well as rebirth, growth, and metamorphosis. My experience as an engraver has instilled in me a need to penetrate visible surfaces by burning them, etching them with acids, or engraving with powerful tools. Through these actions, I seek to reveal what William Blake called the "infinite" hidden behind the visible. In my series "7173" (2021), I use acrylic paint, collage, and photographic techniques to embody this quest."

"7173", 2021, Acrylic paint on ink-blackened and burnt Arches paper with collage, 86x56 cm (34x22 in.)

Group 2

Azim F. Becker

▸ 33 years, Germany, Sculpture
"I work with the intensity of the present moment; my sculptures emerge from reality, though they are timeless and often surreal. Through works like 'Sprout'n Prop', I aim to capture the effort of growth and liberation. As a dark-skinned artist, I question how skin colors influence our perception and whether my works automatically convey a political message. My approach remains open, allowing each viewer to project their own reality. In 'Muckelig (Cozy)', a sculpture in silicone and textile, the ambiguity between comfort and tension invites everyone to explore their own emotions and inner reflections."

"Cozy", 2024, silicone, textile, 47x60x70 cm (19x24x28 in.)

Donatella Chiara Bedello

▹ 74 years, Italy, Painting
"I was born in Turin and have been passionate about art since childhood. Over the years, I have taken various painting courses, specializing in ceramic and fabric painting. In the 90s, I moved to Venice, where I founded and managed the first contemporary art gallery in the Jewish Ghetto, dedicating twenty-three years to promoting Italian and foreign artists. After this journey, I returned to painting, fascinated by the colorful shop windows of New York, which I capture in meticulous acrylic details to preserve memories of a bygone era."

"Corner News Grocery Store", 2021, Acrylic on canvas, 60x80 cm (24x32 in.)

Raul Elizalde

▸ 66 years, Argentina & USA (Florida), Painting, 2nd participation
"My work explores social tensions through images that blend abstraction and figuration. Inspired by photographs from the 1930s and 1940s, I create narratives that highlight timeless themes of division and conflict. In my piece "The problem with being in charge," I depict a complex scene where a person is escorted by police under the mocking gaze of young men, while in the background, a judge seems to preside over a crucial hearing. This composition draws parallels with contemporary situations of social tensions and justice, reminding us that society's deep divisions transcend time."

“The Problem with Being in Charge,” 2024, Acrylic on synthetic paper, 91 x 76 cm (36 x 30 in.)

Nourou Dine Ichola

▹ 62 years old, Senegal, Mixed Media
"A multifaceted artist, I draw from my background in architecture and painting to create a rich and eclectic body of work. My art revolves around a quest for wonder and fulfillment, where each technique used — oil, acrylic, gouache, pen — is a means to convey emotion. Recently, I have incorporated wax fabric into my process, drawn by its vibrant patterns and intense colors. 'Plénitude' is its expression: a collage where squares of wax fabric, arranged in a geometric mosaic, evoke meditative depth and complete fulfillment. I strive to bring out the art of material and texture, inviting the viewer into an immersive experience."

"Plenitude," 2024, collage, fabrics, 120x60 cm. (57x24 in.)

Nalini Joshi

▹ 48 years, India (Maharashtra), Painting, 2nd participation
"Life inspires me through its many shades and surprises, revealing itself each day as a fresh, untouched page waiting to be explored. My art, which I interpret as a fusion between abstract impressionism and realism, seeks to capture the essence of human emotions and transport the viewer to a timeless space of calm and contemplation. Through the use of subtle colors and delicate contrasts, I intertwine elements and textures to create a harmonious and soothing atmosphere. My credo: Embrace the slowness of life… slow down, listen, and contemplate what often escapes the human eye."

"Symphony III," 2021, Mixed Media & Oil on 300 GSM Watercolour Paper, 76x56 cm. (30x22 in.)

Renato Munhoz

▸ 59 years old, Brazil (São Paulo), Painting, 4th participation
"I am interested in how images of ordinary objects, as well as symbolic objects in our societies, find meaning through altered or magnified interpretations. I freely explore contrasts and harmonies between vibrant or subdued colors. My painting is spontaneous, almost gestural, using broad spatula strokes that glide across the canvas, driven by a desire for dialogue between myself and the forming image. In The Cage (2020), created with acrylic on wood panel, the cage evokes the room and the desire for freedom, an invitation for the soul to soar into eternity."

“The Cage,” 2020, acrylic ink on wood panel, 120x90 cm (47x35 in.)

Stefan Osnowski

▸ 54 years, Germany & Portugal, Woodblock Printing
"I am a visual artist, working primarily on paper using woodblock printing to create an ultra-modern and intricate aesthetic. I am interested in digital codes to express phenomena like time, movement, and space, exploring the convergence of technology and spirituality. My work, “CORDOAMA,” was born from a stay in Portugal, where the raw energy of the waves inspired me. This large Phthalo blue woodcut captures an ephemeral moment of the sea, where time and transformation become tangible. Through this work, I aim to evoke deep introspection in the viewer."

"Cordoama", 2018, oil-based woodcut on paper; handprinted, 150x315 cm. (59x124 in.)

Salvador C. Sierra

▹ 48 years old, Philippines, Painting
"I am a social realist artist, and I love creating works with a strong message. Through my work, I aim to touch the viewer to influence their daily choices, whether it's about protecting the environment or reflecting on their role in society. My selected piece, "To Whom It May Concern" (2019), acrylic on canvas, is a call to alarm in the face of the destruction of our planet. It depicts a torn globe, surrounded by children's drawings symbolizing universal challenges like climate change and pollution, urging everyone to protect the Earth and all its creatures."

"To Whom It May Concern," 2019, acrylic on canvas, 122x91 cm (48x36 in.)

Group 3

Christine Enrègle

▸ 51 years old, France, Drawing
"My artistic approach is rooted in the landscape as a living matrix, where each collected, displaced, and transformed fragment becomes an essence, a breath embedded in my installations in Brazil. Since 2017, I have been working with charcoal on cotton canvas, tracing the silent metamorphosis of trees, their intimate growth, and infinite resilience. My works are gateways to the plant world, a carnal interpretation where humanity loses and finds itself. In this age marked by the shadow of the Anthropocene, I embrace a vision of reciprocity among all kingdoms. My work "Jardim Botânico d’Ajuda, Lisbon" reveals, in the organic form of a Ficus, the silhouette of a timeless femininity."

"Ajuda Botanical Garden, Lisbon", 2021, Charcoal on cotton canvas, 150x80 cm. (59x31 in.)

Michael Gordon

▹ 34 years old, USA (Pennsylvania & Texas), Drawing
"In my hyperrealism drawing practice, I draw my motivation from a deep desire to connect with the human experience on a visceral level. I aim to give the viewer that brief moment of doubt, questioning the nature of what they are seeing: a photograph or a drawing. Graphite and charcoal allow me to capture the nuances of form, light, and shadow, where each detail reveals the complexity of emotions and presence. Each piece becomes an intimate dialogue, an exploration of imperfect beauty, a quest for connection and mastery that invites the viewer to pause, contemplate, and feel."

"Submerged," 2023, charcoal and graphite, 76x56 cm. (30x22 in.)

Margery Gosnell-Qua

▸ 62 years old, USA (New York), Painting
"I create canvases where figuration and abstraction intertwine to capture the essence of motion. Structure and proportion are my tools to instill a visual dynamic. My work begins with color and form studies on location, where I immerse myself in my subject and strive to capture what lies beyond the visible: the sound of water, the texture of the wind, the salty fragrance. The vibrant, pulsing diagonal now guides my compositions, enhancing the sense of movement. In the “Beach Series,” I worked from watercolors captured on-site, then explored the details and nuances in the studio, stretching each sensation into large oils. This series celebrates each moment of presence, a quest to bring forth the substance of memory, where texture and colors are imbued with reminiscences of light, wind, and the warmth of eternal bonds."

"Labor Day at Jetty 4," 2023, oil on canvas, 168x208 cm. (66x82 in.)

Irina Jomir

▹ 41 years, Moldova & Norway, Photography
"I am a photographer, and my work explores human emotions and their profound impact on individuals and society. I am particularly drawn to the stories of women who face life's complexities with strength and resilience. Each photo becomes a visual narrative, revealing the hidden layers of their experiences. My photographs aim to give a voice to emotions without imposing my own views, to inspire introspection. Through light, colors, and natural elements, I capture the essence of humanity. My goal is to invite reflection on each person’s ability to shape their own destiny."

"Destiny," 2023, Photography. Some elements (the butterfly and the scorpion) were photographed separately and then added in post-processing. The background was added in Photoshop and consists of fragments of paintings. Variable dimensions.

Burcu Perçin

▸ 45 years old, Turkey, Painting
"I am interested in social and environmental issues in my work, from abandoned warehouses to marble quarries, emphasizing that it is not only nature that is lost, but also our future. Through my unique aesthetic language, I explore themes of consumption and individual loneliness, created by globalization and the industrial order. My works blend past and present, integrating ancient sculptures into artificial landscapes created by humans. I also work in sculpture and photography, offering a contemporary view of transitional periods between Greek and Roman art, as seen in my painting 'Transition Period,' 2024."

"Transition Period," 2024, Oil on canvas, 145 x 205 cm (57 x 81 in.)

SHIANGCC

▸ 35 years old, Taiwan, Screen printing
"I am an illustrator, and my art is inspired by my surroundings, social issues, and the culture around me. I strive to use art to raise public awareness of social issues. I developed a passion for red and blue filters, which offer interactive experiences with my works. In "Fake News" (2024), a screen print, I explore the spread of misinformation and how filters reveal different messages. My goal is to encourage viewers to reflect on the various perspectives that shape our perception of the world."

"Fake News", 2024, screen printing, acrylic paint, 59.4 x 42 cm (23 x 17 in.).

Fè - Federica Sutti

▹ 39 years old, Italy, Installation
"My artistic work combines design and activism, with each project becoming a platform for reflecting on current social and environmental issues. With a background in industrial design, I approach my work as a process of transformation—both of materials and ideas—challenging traditional perceptions of value, especially regarding marginalized identities and ecological sustainability. Human diversity and emotional connection are central to my work, especially in an increasingly dehumanizing technological world. My installation ‘Our Daily Bread’ explores our collective impact through bread shaped from flour, water, sourdough, and plastic, illustrating our complex relationship with the waste we generate."

"Our Daily Bread", 2023, Sourdough, Flour, Water, Plastic, variable dimensions

Freya Fang Wang

▸ 38 years, China & United Kingdom, Painting
"I am an artist whose practice draws on Chinese philosophy, exploring the notion of the Tao, this cosmic force that unites and animates every element of the universe. My works aim to capture the vibrant energy that flows through the world, an intimate connection with nature that transcends materiality. Through sweeping brushstrokes and subtle variations of color, I seek to express life’s perpetual motion and its enigmatic beauty. My intuitive and meditative process reveals unique textures, metaphors for the deep, mystical interconnectedness that binds all things within the Cosmos."

“Pan,” 2024, Acrylic, Oil Pastel, Oil Stick, Pencil on Canvas, 168x152 cm. (66x60 in.)

List of finalists for the 2023 Luxembourg Art Prize

Group 1

Anikó Boda

▸ 50 years old, Hungary, Painting.
"Former obstetrician and gynecologist, I am now a full-time artist. My art, nourished by the experiences of life and death, explores human existence through large-scale oil paintings that blend the qualities of ancient frescoes and vibrant colors. My style of imaginative realism creates surreal worlds from everyday objects, delving into material captivity and the mask of personality." - Profile picture © @sandorcsudai

"The average citizen", 2023 - Oil on canvas, 140 x 140 cm (55 x 55 in.).

Elise Dufour

▸ 41 years old, France, Decorative Arts (Glass)
"Since 2007, in my "Leaves" series, I have been working with glass, shaping each piece by hand at temperatures between 700 and 800 degrees. Without a mold, I touch the fluid material, breaking the conventions of thermoforming. My approach is a dance between technical mastery and instinctive gestures. After firing, I sculpt through sandblasting, seeking the delicate balance between opacity and transparency. My works, intimately connected to light and time, raise questions about our fragile presence in the world. I also share my expertise, teaching in various locations. The presented artwork is a dialogue between cultures and a celebration of light."

"From Dawn to Dusk", 2019, Hand-formed glass pieces with contact gloves and sandblasted.

Graciela ieger

▹ 71 years old, Argentina, Painting
"From my earliest age, I was fascinated by drawing, inspired by my father. At seven years old, I filled large albums with my creations. Discovering the laws of perspective at twelve was a revelation, turning flat paper into a three-dimensional space. Today, this magic still drives me as I paint urban landscapes, exploring light, shadow, and the beauty of everyday life through my works. Night scenes offer me an incredible opportunity to explore these elements. In this piece, I depict intense light piercing the darkness of the night. The only reference to humanity is the reflection of a mannequin in the glass, adding a mysterious and contemplative dimension to my work."

"Corner", 2016, Oil on canvas, 120 x 90 cm (47 x 35 in.).

Fred Kleinberg

▸ 57 years old, France, Painting, 3rd participation
"For three decades, I have cultivated a figurative art in painting and drawing, exhibited worldwide. Intrigued by social phenomena, I scrutinize the impact of the personal on our condition. My travels nourish my contemplation and creativity, structured in thematic series. "Odyssey" (2016/2017) explores exile and migration, drawing from experiences in refugee camps. "We can be heroes" (2019-2021) questions heroism through a gallery of inspiring portraits. Lastly, "Red situation" (2022/2023) delves into the boundaries between the interior and exterior, shedding light on urbanity and isolation in the context of confinement, with a predominance of red, a color laden with symbolism."

"Mars", 2023, Oil painting on canvas, 130 x 197 cm (51 x 78 in.).

Wu Siou Ming

▸ 35 years old, Taiwan, Digital Arts
"I grew up in a developing city, moving at different stages of my life. Never quite at home, I studied art to explore my surroundings and understand the relationship between people and their environment. I created "Cultivated Reality" (CR), using programming to transform original materials and rediscover the world. I focus on the inner landscape and subtle perceptions of everyday life, seeking to express the complex social landscape through art. My work distorts and reinterprets images of the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident, thus questioning our perception of reality."

"Cultivated Reality, Block the Way", 2022, Digital print on photographic paper, 78 x 62 cm (31 x 24 in).

Alessandra Roccasalva

▸ 45 years old, Italy, Digital Arts
"Graphic designer born in 1978, I reside and work in Marina di Ragusa. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Catania, I specialized in painting and cultural heritage. My collages, inspired by artistic works, are the result of a meticulous process using countless Bézier points to cut out, isolate, and assemble different beauties of nature. I consider images as a powerful and precise means to deconstruct and convey our perception of sensory reality, thanks to their ambiguity and richness of meanings. My works, a dialogue between the past and the present, are a technological reinterpretation of art history, blending surrealism and natural motifs."

"Rogier van der Weyden, Descent from the Cross", 2022, Art print & digital collage, 32 x 32 cm (13 x 13 in).

Naoko Sekine (直子関根)

▸ 46 years old, Japan, Painting
"I have thought at length about landscapes, considering them as influential entities rather than mere expanses of space. Our modern world is shaped by humans, filled with intentional images and spaces. Landscapes first arise in the mind, influenced by architecture and lines. They integrate inner and outer elements, connecting consciousness and environment. My artistic creation explores this complex relationship by painting sensory experiences, seeking to expand the meaning of painting through consciousness and structure. My artistic concept draws inspiration from Japanese Bunraku puppetry and the music of Steve Reich, creating networks of independent elements to form an image. This process is also inspired by my visits to prehistoric caves in France. Today, I am in search of more abstract creative motifs, exploring the underlying structure and opening new visual perspectives. My recent work is inspired by New York, where I discovered that urban landscapes can be reduced to lines and colors, evoking hidden richness. My MirrorDrawing series combines painting, gesso, and ceramics to create captivating reflective surfaces that mirror the environment and the viewer's perception. I also plan to explore colored mirror works in the future."

"Mirror Drawing-Straight Lines and Nostalgia", 2022, Graphite and gouache on wood, 294.5 x 294.5 cm (116 x 116 in).

Gui Tavares

▸ 41 years old, Brazil, Photography
"My artistic work focuses on photography as the primary tool for capturing ephemeral urban situations, which I call 'urban aesthetic phenomena.' I collect wall textures, decollages, anamorphic shadows, and urban graphic elements to create visual series. My role as an artist is that of an urban flâneur, seeking inspiration and material in the city, exploring the connections between art, design, and architecture. Shadows are a central element of my practice, transforming the city into a sundial. I also use the rubbing technique to create prints from urban surfaces. Accidental decollages resulting from torn poster overlays also inspire me. 'Meio-Dia e Trinta' is a photographic series capturing shadow play in the port area of Pelotas, Brazil, challenging our perception of time. My work is part of a reflection on 'hora solar verdadeira' as opposed to official time, considering each urban element as a potential sundial. This series has also inspired urban interventions."

Twelve Thirty", 2015, Photography.

Group 2

Mohammed Baba

▸ 50 years, Morocco, Painting
"As an artist, I strive to create unique works, avoiding the repetition of themes and motifs. My work explores various subjects, from satirical critique of my Arab-Muslim experience to inspiration drawn from architecture or simple ideas. My creations are amalgams of acrylic paint and reclaimed materials, utilizing various techniques. My art rejects stereotypes. The presented piece draws its inspiration from the song of the band Noir Désir. It depicts an unfinished wall with a wrought-iron window, symbolizing human incompleteness. The decision to pause in the creative process is crucial, and this painting expresses melancholy in the face of incompleteness and our origins."

"Exit 2, everything we leave behind", 2023, Acrylic painting, oil pastel, collage on canvas, 120 x 80 cm (47 x 31 in).

Yat Wan Melody Chan

▸ 30 years, Macao (China), Engraving
"I am a visual artist and mathematics teacher living between London, Macao, and Hong Kong. I combine artistic intuition and scientific methodology to express my spiritual quest. My work explores scientific rationality and the search for truth, merging cryptography, mathematics, and Chinese culture in an interactive piece called 'Mind Palace' that transcends the traditional relationship between artist and audience. I have used the binary system and my own encryption method to transform data into hexagrams from the 'I Ching,' one of the oldest Chinese classics. This work explores the transmission of information and logical thinking through the ages, merging cryptography, mathematics, Chinese art, and East-West philosophy. It comes in 'Yin' and 'Yang' versions, offering a reversed interaction and challenging the passive relationship between the artist and the audience."

"Mind Palace", 2022, Chinese seal engraving and movable type printing, 500 x 50 cm each (197 x 20 in).

Sebastian Fund

▸ 38 years, Mexico & Argentina, Engraving
"I am an artist specializing in engraving. My work explores identity through a diversity of artistic techniques, including engraving, painting, photography, and performance. My art expresses the duality of life and the richness of artistic expression. In the selected work, I discover a world where touch precedes sound, setting the stage for speech and imagery. Sound, an echo, becomes a torment, an unrelenting repetition. The painting embodies these concepts with characters: a raven, an ambivalent symbol, and supernatural and divine human figures. Snakes, archetypes of duality, surround these entities. The art of engraving reveals life within the lines."

"Eco", 2022, Woodcut on two panels, 120 x 180 cm (47 x 71 in).

Etienne Gayard

▸ 27 years old, France, Painting
"My artistic work is nourished by urbanism, exploring architectural details and urban landscapes captured in photography. These images fuel my visual language, stored digitally. My compositions become abstract, engaging in a dialogue with architecture. I conceive my paintings as objects, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in a visual journey between the outside world and the intimacy of the artwork. The selected diptych marks the end of my studies in Paris and embodies this artistic dialogue with space and architecture. This composition originates from a photograph taken in Romania on the Black Sea coast, in an industrial construction zone, during a stunning sunrise."

"Sunrise with a View", 2022, Acrylic on canvas, 132 x 123 cm each (52 x 48 in).

Ulla Hase

▸ 57 years old, Germany, Drawing, 4th participation
"My artistic work is the result of a fusion of materials, thoughts, and actions, exploring their natures and intensities. Through lines on paper, I connect the past and present, transforming my perception. My art resides in the active gestures and evolving materials, a contemplation that engages the whole body. My selected work, "Untitled" (2019), is an example of this transparent and complex weaving, executed with a Pilot G-2 pen on satin-finish Arches paper, framed in wood and painted white."

"Untitled", 2019, Pilot blue roller pen G-2 on Arches satiné, 114.5 x 125.7 cm (45 x 50 in).

Alexandre Lequoeur

▹ 36 years old, France, Mixed techniques, 3rd participation
"By substituting canvas with glass, I create picture installations where shadow becomes raw material. Painting on glass reacts to light and perspectives, exploring threshold, presence, and absence with blades instead of brushes. Inspired by minimalism and aphantasia, my visual language includes kinaesthesia, time, and rhythm. Glass isolates the figures, revealing their complexity. Black acrylic, suspended on a white background, plays with light, shadow, and reflection. The works interact in positive and negative, sometimes with a glass pre-treatment to sculpt the image. My artistic journey explores paradox, questioning perception and materiality. My work "Wink to the filling curves of topology" replaces the brush with blades, offering a play of shadows and reflections evoking ambiguity. The paradox takes shape, what attracts the gaze is not truly a part of the painting."

"Space. Feeling. Curves.", 2023, Acrylic on glass, slats, play of shadows, 102 x 72 cm (40 x 28 in).

Desirey Minkoh

▹ 58 years old, Gabon, Photography
"After my experience in a global agency, I want to change the perception of the African continent. Instead of war, famine, and misery, I want to highlight its cultural and environmental riches. I present a Gabonese initiation ritual, emphasizing its spiritual aspect. Initiated at the age of 11, from a family of Bwiti practitioners, I explore the mystical and esoteric dimension of Bwiti through photography. This ritual has public festive aspects and secret rituals among initiates, with significant mystical makeup and accessories."

"Bwiti Missoko", 2014, Photography with shutter speed priority.

Lola's Reel

▹ 27 years old, Belgium, Photography, 2nd participation
"My photographic journey is rooted in documentary photography. I immerse myself in groups of willing individuals to capture precise moments or street scenes. My aim is to bear witness for humanity, educate through my images, and reveal the unknown. My art feeds on plays of light, whether natural or artificial, creating striking contrasts. The challenges lie in the reliance on lighting conditions and the subjects' reactions. In street photography, I seek life's moments, capturing the essence of each scene. My series project on skateboarding expresses the unique bond between skaters and their boards, without personalizing, highlighting their movements and connection."

"Skate", 2021, Digital photograph - Fujifilm XT1 - 56mm 1.2-16 lens.

Group 3

Daniel Boer

▸ 25 years old, Italy, Photography, 4th participation
"The quest for spontaneity guides my artistic approach. Every opportunity, good or bad, becomes a chance for me to reveal myself through self-portraits, thus narrating personal stories. My beginnings trace back to high school, where I experimented with self-portraits while practicing parkour, an urban acrobatic sport. Following a serious accident during a risky jump, I embarked on a new series of more intimate self-portraits. I realized that this new series turned out to be the most powerful tool for my personal growth. The nude self-portrait in a cage symbolizes my battle against depersonalization disorder. I use art to transcend my weaknesses and vulnerability, transforming my inner cage into a source of inspiration. My journey demonstrates that I can coexist with my inner demons, capturing them in images to better understand them."

"Trapped Soul", 2023, Digital photograph with 10-second timer and white LED lights.

William Bradley

▸ 39 years old, USA (California) & United Kingdom, Painting, 2nd participation
"In my artistic pursuit, the fusion of form and color aims to explore the sensory impact of painting. Three-dimensional forms serve as gesture and sculpture, defying the flat trends of social media. While deconstructing the 'heroic' gesture of abstraction, I integrate into its history while ridiculing it. My work combines pictorial representation with sculptural elements to expand the boundaries of abstract painting. Stemming from a collage process, my series 'It all starts with collage' captures the emotional essence of gesture and color, rooted in my native Yorkshire and a newfound affection for this region. 'Giant Country' evokes my connection to the region and its illustrious artistic figures."

"Giant Country", 2023, Acrylic on cardboard on canvas, 209 x 365 cm (82 x 144 in).

Elodie Carstensen

▸ 31 years old, Germany, Painting
"My artistic career began in fashion and costume design, but the lockdown led me to explore painting as a means to express my emotions. I work with intuitive precision, exploring the influence of colors on emotions. I experiment with various techniques to create diverse works, ranging from serenity to mystery. My series "Blauer Himmel Zuckerwatte" explores the contrast between artificial and natural, creating a disturbing visual experience. Inspired by my work as a costume designer for "Death Drive In," it consists of 36 acrylic and spray paintings, forming a cohesive visual ensemble."

"Blue Sky Cotton Candy", 2022, Spatula acrylic, spray paint on canvas, 20 x 20 cm each (8 x 8 in each).

Suyeon Jang

▹ 48 years old, South Korea, Decorative Arts (Textiles and Materials)
"In my artistic work, I explore the theme of life through embroidery. This process, linked to the anticipation of birth, symbolizes the creation of life for me. My three-dimensional embroidery pieces appear alive. Up close, the lines reveal themselves as a multitude of stitches, symbolizing time and patience. I use traditional Korean techniques such as Saeksilnubi and embroidery to create relief-like forms. My piece "The Moon Shining on the Flowers" takes its name from a motif of an ancient Korean song, evoking a woman singing under the moonlight like a flower under the moon's glow. My unique approach, blending tradition and innovation, imparts a singular depth and vitality to my works."

"The Moon Shining On Flowers (2)", 2022, Sewing on fabric, 50 x 50 cm (20 x 20 in).

Janelle Molina

▹ 20 years, Canada (Quebec) & Dominican Republic & El Salvador, Painting
"Art becomes a spiritual conduit for me, an act where emotions navigate the expanse between despair and gratitude. It's in the alchemy of turning the intangible into tangible, I recognize life's dualities. Yet, amid fluctuating creative ecstasy and struggle, my soul anchors in divine constancy. This journey humbles me, revealing the universality of creation, transcending the need for comparison or competition, with love as the central devotion. Rejecting commercialism, my aspiration is not to sell my work but to share it freely, trusting in providence to manifest this ideal in a grand tapestry of generosity and faith."

"Still Life, Winter", 2022, Oil painting on canvas, 38 x 76 cm (15 x 30 in).

Matthew Pendleton

▹ 43 years old, USA (Colorado), Drawing, 3rd participation
"My work is a work of tranquility and precision. It can be described as the physical imprint of a living meditation. Without formal training in the arts, I carve my path with focus, dedication, and without counting my time. Each piece requires months of concentrated attention, each line breathing life into the work. I begin each creation with a small abstract form on a white paper background. Slowly and laboriously, I trace fine lines like spiderwebs around the form, revealing the topography of each drawing. This topography represents continuous life, boundless growth, an infinite expansion of energy. The lines create a visual echo of the central form, radiating in all directions to the edge of the paper, creating tension around them. Comparable to the growth rings of a tree, but here, they are the growth rings of the soul. My selected work, "Comin Thro the Rye," named after a traditional Scottish song based on a poem by Robert Burns, represents an explosion of playful innocence one can have in childhood. Endless energy and constant curiosity."

"Comin Thro the Rye", 2021, Graphite pencil and Prismacolor drawing on Stonehenge paper, 152 x 127 cm (60 x 50 in).

Tomomi Tanaka (田中知美)

▸ 40 years, Japan, Decorative Arts (Pottery), 2nd participation
"I wish for others to understand my thoughts and feelings, even though the attention of others makes me uncomfortable. Despite that, art allows me to freely express my emotions. My love for pottery was born in college, drawn to the malleable earth offering tactile expression and the fascination of transformations during firing. Pottery is not without challenges, but over time, I've gained skill and richness of expression. My style involves layering countless folds onto a hand-shaped base, containing unspoken emotions. My works reflect human complexity, from joys to sorrows, creating a connection with the viewer. I aspire to express life itself through my art, seeking new forms born from encounters with the unknown."

« 溶け合う » ("Harmoniously Blend"), Clay, 20 x 32 x 18 cm (8 x 13 x 7 in).

Vittorio Valiante

▹ 32 years old, Italy, Painting
"Immersed in deep study and rigorous discipline, my works stand out through a masterful technique of painting and an unparalleled palette that are my artistic signature. My work explores emotions rendered in the form of details and fragments. My art, at times violent, whispers to our subconscious through the dematerialization of the image, escaping ties to material reality. I exhibit captivating snippets of life that stimulate the imagination. I use modest materials, recycling abandoned elements to denounce consumer society. My work establishes a connection between the artwork and the viewer."

"Frantume" ("Shatter"), 2023, Oil painting on panel, 65 x 45 cm (26 x 18 in).

List of finalists for the 2022 Luxembourg Art Prize

Group 1

Mark Axelrod-Sokolov

▹ 76, USA (California), Printmaking
“I've always been fascinated by American stamps and especially commemorative stamps. When events occur for which official stamps are unlikely to be printed, I decide to create them myself, which coincides with the type of art I make. The insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 was one such occasion.”

“The Battle for the Capitol”, 2021. Photoshop and printmaking on paper.

Irina Dukina

▸ 38, Russia, Decorative arts (clay)
“My works recount the importance of the individualism of each person living on our planet. In my works, I deliberately refrain from seeking the ideal form. Clay allows me to explore the challenges of physicality and embodies the full range of complex human emotions regarding appearance.”

“Contact improvisation”, 2021. Clay. 40 x 70 x 70 cm (16 x 28 x 28 in.).

Sam Hauser

▸ 30, USA (Colorado), Painting
“I’m particularly fascinated by the relationship between the conscious and the subconscious. In my art, the conscious mind is symbolized by techniques based on the reproduction of reality, as experienced through sight, such as proportional drawing and portraiture. In recent years, my subconscious has taken on a more significant role in my work, expressed through vibrant color relationships and departures into abstraction.”

“Bather No. 5”, 2021. Batik painting on silk with fiber reactive dye. I use melted wax as a resist and paint the image in reverse through the use of dye baths. Stretched on a white wooden frame. 63 x 76 cm (25 x 30 in.)

Livio Moiana

▸ 53, Italy, Photography
“I’m fascinated by the human body, by the shapes that bodies can create together by combining movement and the close-ups and images that the shadows of these bodies create. Through my photos, I hope that people can read into the shadows and the dark areas of these bodies, and that they can find the true light of life.”

“Untitled”, 2019. Photographic print on matte paper mounted on a 2 cm Light panel.

Sanan Salamli

▸ 38, Azerbaijan, Painting
“In my abstract works, I build connections across lines, colors and technical discoveries. I try to achieve unity, wholeness and harmonious balance. Cosmic structures with asymmetric symmetry are formed, and these structures are reminiscent of a human being, both in form and in essence. My works are merely a projection of my thoughts, my soul and my subconscious.”

“Attitude/position”, 2019. Oil and acrylic on canvas. 63 x 48 cm (25 x 19 in.)

Cédric Vionnet

▸ 44, Switzerland, Installation
“I am a neon glassblower, which is a disappearing profession. My interest in graffiti can be seen in the Neon Tags series, which was born from my walks through the streets of Geneva. The idea of the work presented came to me during a visit to the Matisse Museum in Nice. Experimentation with tubes of light is what truly drives me.”

“Matisse - Bouquets de blé” (Matisse - Bouquets of wheat), 2019. 17 Murano tube elements: orange, yellow, green with noble argon/mercury gases. Transparent tubes with rare neon and helium gases.

Ilann Vogt

▸ 36, France, Installation
“I cut texts into strips and assemble them into paper weavings. In an artisanal, almost monastic way, I work with the books in the solitude of my studio. In the present work, I no longer use the entirety of a text and thus have broken with the unity of “one text, one work.” I used only excerpts of text, in all possible languages, and have interwoven and linked them to obtain a weave which reflects current and past civilizations. This monumental work nearly reaches the dimensions of “The Wedding of Cana” painted by Paul Veronese in 1563 and exhibited in the Louvre Museum in Paris.”

"Praise of the story", 2021. Cut and woven paper, 650 x 950 cm (256 x 374 in.)

Vincent Wolf

▹ 24, Brazil, Painting
“The most visceral aspect of art is my main interest. I love the rawness of things. I spent my late childhood and early adolescence in a Catholic hospital, and I ended up developing a kind of fascination for religious symbolism even if it wasn't part of my faith. The darkest and most compromising perspective of Christianity is one of my favorite subjects, and I try to bring out a beauty that’s, above all, captivating.”

“Lucifer, le fils du matin” (Lucifer, the morning son), 2020. Graphite and charcoal drawing on paper, then scanned and the final painting done on a Wacom screen.

Group 2

Jillian Bogan

▸ 35, Canada (Saskatchewan), Painting
“The purpose of my work is to create an understanding of human beings and the human experience. I like when people reflect upon and feel affected by my work. The painting presented is a chaotic but realistic representation of violence in the Ukrainian parliament over language laws. More generally, the painting also shows the sexist state of politics, as all the politicians are men, which is an accurate representation of the event and is the case in many other parliaments around the world.”

“Politics #2”, 2022. Oil and acrylic on canvas. 91 x 123 cm (36 x 48 in.)

Sophie Foote

▸ 58, New Zealand, Installation
“I love the idea of a kaleidoscope. I try to transpose an adult’s perspective with a child’s perspective by trapping ordinary objects with my macro photographic lens. The morphology of colors and the modulations of nuances and intensities are at the heart of my reflections regarding images and objects. I generate new digital artifacts, patterns, phantasmagorical shadows and semblances of architecture and physiognomy.”

“Here is Where I Am”, 2015. Macro photography, digital post-processing and printing, hand gilding, laser cutting, spray painting/painting with recovered and ready-made objects, MDF, paper, reusable wallpaper, "gold" aluminum foil, wax candles and color-changing rubberized automotive paint.

Otero Fuentes

▸ 36, Puerto Rico & USA (New York), Installation
“I'm an American immigrant born in Puerto Rico. In my art, I use utilitarian materials to create works that express an egalitarian and anti-elitist position. This deconstructs the cavalier complexity of fine art and makes the work accessible to everyone. My works use simple geometric forms to further accentuate a sense of familiarity. The works are constructed according to proportions appearing in nature in order to provide a sense of perfection.”

“2020”, 2020. 20 anti-viral face masks; Standard toilet paper holder. 10 x 10 x 10 cm (4 x 4 x 4 in.)

Francesca Lovera

▹ 33, Italy, Painting
"I am inspired, above all, by emotions and personal experiences as well as by the people I meet, along with their stories. I identify with them myself, sometimes almost entirely. The work presented expresses a particularly dark time that affected the entire world, caused by Covid, but one which we didn’t all experience in the same way. From this work emerges, not a universal darkness, but a very personal darkness, onto which are superimposed numerous feelings of uncertainty, fear, sadness and anguish.”

“Do you know darkness?”, 2022. Acrylic painting on canvas. 75 x 55 cm (30 x 22 in.)

Carmine Marini

▹ 29, Belgium, Decorative arts (textiles)
“On the islands of Lake Titicaca, weavers are mostly men. They walk around with their tools, on all roads and in all types of weather. Their weavings are also part of their skin, and they dress themselves in their stories. In the same way, the art of crochet has become an extension of my body, which allows me to meditate and express my story and my personality. In the tapestry presented, I express all the emotions that Peru evokes in me, using photos of landscapes that have left their mark on me.”

“Peru”, 2020. Crochet, cotton. 120 x 100 cm (47 x 40 in.)

Corinne Sénac

▹ 58, France, Decorative arts (textiles)
“My chance meeting, more than thirty years ago, with an old woman who perfectly mastered a vast number of needlepoint stitches was, for me, a revelation. Over time, I have learned or invented more than two hundred stitches and patterns which I juggle endlessly. Mastering these demanding techniques allows me to consider new forms of expression, both in the patterns and in the treatment of light.”

“Le Petit Nice in Girond”, 2018. Wool and cotton yarns on mono blank canvas. 80 x 125 cm (32 x 49 in.)

Yu-Hsuan Tai

▸ 25, Taiwan, Mixed media
“It's the minimalist practice of art that interests me the most. The work presented is made of handmade eraser shavings and ink. My work explores the relationship between painting and time. The more I add eraser shavings and ink to the work, the more I illustrate the evolution of thought which drives art, technology and civilization. In the process of revealing the work, I also explore how the two extremes of cause and effect, yin and yang, zero and the infinite, work together to construct the world.”

“Gray composition number one”, 2021. Eraser shavings and ink. 98 x 130 cm. (39 x 51 in.)

Miho Yamamoto (美穂山本)

▸ 34, Japan, Drawing
“The body is the main focus of my work. I create works where the viewer can see both the visible parts and those in the background. My drawings preach liberation of the body, the beauty of the body and the inner will. In the work presented, I want to show that the beauty of a woman does not express itself. I want to convey how precious and beautiful it is to have self-confidence and to love yourself.”

“Torso”, 2022. Graphite pencil on paper. 65 x 50 cm. (26 x 20 in.)

Group 3

Liling Cui

▸ 33, China & the UK, Photography
“My photography focuses on the documentation of religious culture. I spent two months in the village of Tarshul, in the Szechuan Province, which has the second largest group of Tibetans in China. My art project depicts the simple and authentic life of this Tibetan village. The current generation of young Tibetans is facing a challenging situation. Due to government intervention, young people are no longer allowed to become monks. And with the growth in modernization, the number of shepherds and monks has gradually disappeared, and more and more young people have left for the cities. My work bears witness to the slow deterioration of Himalayan culture among the youth.”

“Stay or go”, 2021. Digital photography, Sony A7R2

Evelyn Hellenschmidt

▹ 60, Germany and Spain, Sculpture
"My work is a discourse of intimacy, meticulousness, egocentrism and trance. I'm always looking for basic structures, the geometric purity and lightness in a form. My work is inspired by illegal immigration between Morocco and Spain. The title refers to a desperate situation of people who need to cross the border between two continents by sea, in order to arrive at a life without hunger or deprivation. This work speaks in a general way about the ability of human beings to flourish where they were born.”

“Boats of possibility or boats of hunger”, 2008. Sculpture in brass, copper and bronze, soldered and patinated.

Isidora Lackington

▸ 45, Chili, Drawing
“My work is composed mainly of paintings and pencil drawings through the method of realism. I investigate the imprint of personal and collective memory by reclaiming what’s simple, ephemeral and unobtrusive, whether through a landscape, a portrait or an object. I seek to discover the beauty of what’s typically ordinary and overlooked, like a car on the highway or a box of matches, by taking it and placing it on the field of artistic representation, transforming it into an image charged with emotional and historical meaning.”

“Fosforera Ecuatoriana”, 2022. Colored pencil on cotton paper. 50 x 40 cm (20 x 16 in.)

Sema Maskili

▸ 42, Turkey, Painting
“My works make reference to the concept of a primitive and barbaric human nature. There is an aggressive need that continues to exist somewhere within a person, despite being civilized. When I paint a human being, I concentrate on the violence within them, and I create compositions made from bodies that clash in an animalistic way, intertwined anatomical structures and crushed and deformed body parts. I approach humans as an entity caught between ethical values and animal instincts, and I question the complexity of human nature.”

“Mob Psychology”, 2022. Oil on canvas. 110 x 85 cm. (43 x 34 in.)

Mike Miller

▹ 34, USA (Ohio), Painting
“My paintings are expressive, experimental and free. This painting represents the mental noise created by the overload of information we receive by constantly using our cell phones. The hand holding the cell phone is deliberately colorless, symbolizing the absence of life. The face is deliberately blurred, symbolizing our scattered and noisy brains.”

“Disconnected”, 2022. Acrylic, oil, oil stick, Plexiglass, gold leaf, marker and diamond dust on canvas.

Sara Shira Cutler

▹ 30, Israel & the UK, Painting
“I immigrated to Israel from the UK a few years ago. I create expressive oil paintings which seek to capture the experience of human existence and its many aspects. The superposition of layers of paint and human figures on the canvas, mixed with a lyrical energy or what appears to be a storm of emotions, produces a human chaos that oscillates between desire and violence, imagination and reality.”

“Movement”, 2022. Oil on canvas. 120 x 150 cm (47 x 59 in.)

Fransix Tenda

▸ 38, Congo & The Netherlands, Drawing
“I seek to break the boundaries that exist between art and science. My recent project is dedicated to remembrance, and for this, I use my family archives, including notebooks from my mother, a public elementary school principal, and service logs from my father, a former journalist at National Television in the 1900s. I leverage the interaction between the writings in the documents and my drawings. “Beto na Beto” means “Between us” in Kinkongo, one of the dialects of the Congo.”

“Beto na Beto” (Between us). Acrylic, Fusin, Ecoline and Oil Pastel on Paper. 119 x 91 cm (47 x 36 in.)

Mykola Tolmachev

▹ 29, Ukraine, Drawing
"My works are mainly about effeminacy in the human world, which breaks with the forced perception of what a man "should be”. It’s a place where repressed sexuality and vulnerability, caused by a dependency on feelings and desires, are combined in mocking way. I use watercolors to create my works. This medium, on the one hand, offers a wide range of possibilities, but on the other hand, leaves very little room for error.”

“Sword ll", 2022. Watercolor on paper. 17 x 16 cm (7 x 6 in.)

List of finalists for the 2021 Luxembourg Art Prize

Group 1

Christian Bold

▸ 42, Germany, Painting
“While meticulously preparing each painting, I try to find and maintain a balance between an affirming enthusiasm and an implicit skepticism, between pleasure in the show and a disdain for clichés. The wordplay in the title of the work, which is a reference to a dance, is meant to suggest the ritualized elements of a street fight. The visual allusion to Hokusai’s woodblock print, “The Great Wave off Kanagawa,” doesn’t just make the composition more dynamic, it also creates a median line with one of my visual models.”

Bambuleo, 2017 - Acrylic on canvas - 200 x 300 cm (79 x 118 in)

Elladj Lincy Deloumeaux

▸ 26, France, Painting
“Naitre à soi [Finding Oneself] is the energy with which we work on our own uniqueness while using a library of references that are plural. It’s actually a phenomenon of creolization, of archipelization: the way that different cultural references branch out to each other across geographic areas and mental landscapes, forming a contact zone that I try to transcribe into a composition, a canvas.”

Naître à soi [Finding Oneself], 2020 - Oil and gouache on canvas - 162 x 130 cm (64 x 51 in)

Susan Kremer

▸ 29, Czech Republic & Hungary, Digital arts
“My series Empty Spaces represents my approach and my interpretation of the fear of emptiness caused by the virus. When I walked through the empty streets, I felt like I was trespassing on private property, crossing the border into a place where I never should have been. The skeleton of the cities that loomed around me during these daily walks filled up with digital life after curfew, once we found ourselves trapped within our own walls.”

Empty Spaces, 2021 – Digital work

Jennifer Lescouët

▹ 34, France, Photography
“It was in the context of suddenly going deaf at age eight that, during adolescence, I became interested in photography. It was a tool that, early on, allowed me to express myself and develop a “gaze that hears.” I transcribe the movements of sign language, playing with the photographic exposure time. The challenge is to show the movement of the sign while keeping the model’s face in focus.”

Les mots du Silence, Signe: ‘Langue des signes’ [Words of Silence, Sign: Sign Language], 2015 - Photography

Zoran Mishe

▸ 37, Bulgaria & North Macedonia, Printmaking, Etching
“In printmaking, sharing and teamwork are essential to developing one’s personal talents. In this series on Legos, I’m trying to understand the way our interpretations of the world vary according to age. When children build with Legos, they construct their own visions of the world. The question is to know whether, once they grow up, they will create the same representation of the world if they play the same game.”

The Truth - Let's Play I, 2021 – Print – 66 x 100 cm (26 x 39 in)

Francis O'Shaughnessy

▸ 41, Canada, Photography
“During my research, I had the idea of setting up a bellows device in front of a computer to convert digital representations into wet collodion. I wanted to revisit previous productions and “recontextualize,” reinterpret my favorites. The result turned out to be so interesting that I made a series. In this way, I have anchored ancient processes with the technology of today.”

Plaque 58, 2020 - Wet collodion

Celina Portella

▸ 44, Brazil, Mixed media (Photography)
“I’m interested in the representation of the body and its relationship with space. My work has a profound connection with the world of choreography, because of my professional experience with dance. Using the artifice of trompe l'oeil and the radical integration of media, I work in the ambiguous terrain between the material and the immaterial, between the world’s objectivity and illusion.”

Corte/1 [Cut/1], 2019, Cut photograph, 135 x 95 cm (53 x 37 in)

Jeanne K Simmons

▸ 57, United States (Washington), Sculpture, Decorative arts
“I am passionate about working in nature, with natural materials, to address issues concerning women, humanity and the Earth. The work presented is a celebration of the beauty of the natural world, and the beauty of our place in that world.”

“Lace Skirt”, 2019, Queen Anne’s lace and weaving techniques.

Group 2

Nina K Ekman

▹ 42 years old, Denmark and Norway, Sculpture (Textile)
“I grew up in the north of Norway, and my relationship with nature is a personal passion. The selected work questions the unsustainability of our modern lifestyles and invites the observer to reflect on our linear consumption methods, fast fashion and the consequences of our negligence on the future of the planet. I use second-hand clothing and wool scraps from the textile industry to create my works. Turfting is a method for weaving rugs.”

Please touch me, 2020, Turfting of unsold wool, wood, metal, concrete, old newspapers - Varied dimensions

Anna Guadagnini

▸ 38 years old, United Kingdom & Italy, Photography
“My work is comprised mainly of portraits. My intimate approach and the autobiographical nature of my practice often translate into self-portraits. My photos present a powerful narrative, an intermediary, part of a larger story. For this project in particular, Clarissa Pinkola’s book, Women Who Run With the Wolves, was a big source of inspiration.”

Like a Fish in a Bottle, 2021 – Digital photography

Kyle Hoffmann

▹ 36 years old, Australia, Photography
“Having grown up in Wisconsin, my artistic outlook was primarily passed on to me by my grandfather, a watercolor artist. My photographic creation is more like the creation of a painting. My method focuses on distilling the image down to its fundamental parts and emphasizes lines, shapes and movement in the eyes of the viewer.”

Paper 9, 2021 - Photo taken with a Hasselblad 500C/M, 120 mm f4 with bellows, film developed by hand. Film: Bergger Pancro 400

Leonardo Laino

▸ 41 years old, Italy, Decorative Arts (Mosaic)
“The art of mosaic is ‘a small piece that, at first glance, is useless but when combined with others, creates beauty’. The work presented is the result of a long and almost obsessive search to add malleability to the mosaic technique. Marble, which is a heavy material in itself, takes on fluidity and lightness in a rippling play of waves which is reminiscent of the shape of a scarf.”

Foulard (Scarf), 2015 – Marble and fiberglass, 60 x 77 x 5 cm (24 x 30 x 2 in).

Jerci Maccari

▹ 72 years old, Brazil, Painting, 6th time participating
“In my paintings, I develop a socio-geographic-cultural and historical account of family farming, widely practiced in the southern part of the country and strongly influenced by European immigration to Brazil in the early 20th century. The absence of faces on my characters is a social critique of the lack of importance given to rural workers.”

Semeadura em Tempos Sombrios I (Sowing in a Dark Time), 2021

Pilar Martínez

▹ 40 years old, Spain, Photography
“I experiment with my own body in sometimes unsettling places where it seems that neither time nor space exist. In this work, I wanted to capture the intangible and fleeting side of my being, and my camera proved to be the perfect instrument to help me succeed.”

Desde el interior (From the Inside), 2017 – Digital photography

Ryu Morizane

▹ 29 years old, Japan, Drawing, 2nd time participant
“I strive to explore new ways of representing flowers in drawings. Monochromatic with its flower motif, this design has a structure that gives a simple and symbolic impression. It took over a year and a half to complete.”

The Flowers, 2020 - Charcoal on paper, 88x143 cm

Laisvydė Šalčiūtė

▸ 57 years old, Lithuania, Painting, 2nd time participant
“In my work, I collect images that interest me and random bits of text on the Internet. I recycle them, as one would do with plastic bottles, and I rewrite them by changing their context and meaning through the principle of paradox. I then reuse them in a new work to create a visual fairy tale for adults which presents our reality as it’s constructed by the representation.”

The Rape of Europa, 2019, Wood engraving, oil and acrylic on canvas, 159 x 159 cm (63 x 63 in.)

Group 3

Saoud Abdallah

▹ 45 years old, Jordan & Syria, Mixed Media
“I always think that a work of art should be as simple and as expressive as possible. I like the austerity and simplicity of shapes and colors. All my works are made from natural black sand with no artificial colors. The sand used comes from the Jebel Shihan volcano in the city of Soueïda in Syria. The white is zinc dust or titanium powder.”

Souvenirs, 2020, natural sand and other materials on canvas, 150 x 150 cm (59 x 59 in)

Holly Boruck

▸ 66 years old, United States (California), Painting
“I have a deep interest in the human psyche and in earthly experiences. In my work, I strive to capture the richness of the human experience through expressions on faces and in body movements, all while representing the intellect, emotions and spirit. The work presented explores the relationship between humans and nature, and in particular how human activity accelerates the effects of entropy on the natural environment.”

Entropic 02, 2021 - Ink, colored pencils on paper – 46 x 36cm (18 x 14 in)

Fabian Bürgy

▸ 41 years old, Switzerland, Sculpture
“I create a minimalistic world inspired by a wide range of objects and appearances of the most ordinary. Tetrapods are a type of structure used to prevent erosion and to reinforce coastal structures such as seawalls and breakwaters. The work presented is my symbolic sculpture of 2020. It’s a symbol of the pandemic, but also of humanity exposed to the forces of nature, such as climate change.”

Tetrapod - Breaking the COVID-19 Wave, 2020 - Material: concrete. Technique: Negative mold (3D printing) filled with cement.

Oblivion Dope

▹ 26 years old, Portugal, Digital Art
“I’m passionate about nature, culture and technology, and this interest is reflected in the way I draw an image. In this digital work, "Blue Lady", I decided to illustrate a female character in an allegorical world, where nature and animal life blend together in a coherent way and create a mystical and colorful image.”

Blue Lady, 2021 - Digital illustration, digital painting, digital tools.

Mila Hacke

▸ 48 years old, Germany, Photography
“My work is an architectural photography research project that currently focuses on the Allies in Berlin and the architectural heritage of the four powers. The camera is my research tool. Through the focused image, I can show references by way of dialogues with other buildings and other eras.”

Allies in Berlin - The Architectural Heritage, 2020 – Architectural research work through photography

INSANE 51

▸ 29 years old, Greece, Street Art
“My main concept is based on love stories. My style is a double vision exposure technique that requires 3D glasses to see the various layers. I always use skeletons and portraits, because no matter how much we try to portray ourselves, in the end we are just bones and a skeleton. We're all the same inside. We’re all humans.”

MOONCAKE, 2019 - Acrylic spray paint on a 700 m2 wall in Worcester, Massachusetts (USA) – 17 x 40 meters (670 x 1.575 in)

Alena Kutnikova

▹ 39 years old, Russia, Photography
“I took advantage of the isolation during the forced confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic to begin photographing still lifes, being inspired by the Flemish paintings of the 17th century to reinterpret this theme in a modern way. I try to imagine which materials and accessories the Dutch masters might use if they were alive in our time.”

Still Life, 2021 – Digital Photography, Canon 5D Mark IV, EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

Miriam Pertegato

▸ 43 years old, Italy, Painting & Collage on Paper
“The drawing presented represents a sleeping nude Venus as a child. Next to her sits a little Cupid who is patiently waiting for her to wake up and is amused by watching a little garter snake in his hand. It is a work that comes from my great admiration for the Venus of Dresden by Giorgione and from my interest in the iconography of the sleeping Venus, that is, the celebration of inert, pure and natural beauty, the promise of awakening and, in this case, of development and maturation.”

Venere dormiente (Sleeping Venus), 2020 - Ink, tempera and collage on Fabriano 300 g/m art paper

List of finalists for the 2020 Luxembourg Art Prize

Monika Bulaj

▹ 54, Italy and Poland. Photography.
2nd entry
“My work concerns minorities in danger, nomads, and pilgrims. I look for places that serve as bridges located at cultural and spiritual borders, at the crossroads of forgetting minorities, relating the weakest beliefs and traditions, their fragile resistance, as well as their openness to dialogue.”

“The boat. Sierra Leone”, 2020. Hahnemühle print. Variable dimension

Ann Carrington

▸ 58, United Kingdon. Sculpture.
“My sculptures tell stories with everyday objects; using a variety of found objects is a fundamental element of my work. My metallic flower bouquets form a modern-day memento mori.”

“Snowball in Delft,” 2020. This work was created from welded and brazed spoons and from metal cutlery. 73 x 58 x 58 cm (29 x 23 x 23 in.)

Sara Genn

▸ 48, Canada (British Columbia) & USA (California). Painting
“According to the principles of the Japanese aesthetic wabi-sabi, objects and experiences increase in beauty when they evoke a feeling of spiritual desire. These paintings also strive to offer a space for visual pleasure with objects that occupy the space in a way that blurs the signifiers of genre, art, and monuments.”

“The moon woke me up fifteen times,” 2020. Acrylic on canvas in the artist’s frames. 155 x 485 cm (61.5 x 191 in.)

Dieudonné Gottfried Zola

▸ 23, Congo (Kinshasa). Painting
“My work focuses on highlighting visible minorities, otherness, and the body and its relationship with space. The representation of the body in this duality that encompasses it; between vulnerability and vehemence.”

“Florian,” 2020 – Oil on canvas – 89 x 146 cm (35 x 57 in.)

麻由美井上 (Mayumi Inoue)

▸ 32, Japan. Mixed media techniques
“As part of my approach, the hair lost by cancer patients during their treatment is collected, then woven into works of art to give it a second life. The memories of each are woven into the hair which becomes proof of existence, symbols of life.”

“Thread of Life – Fabienne #2,” 2020 – Hair weaving – 29.5 x 29.5 cm (11.6 x 11.6 in.)

Daniela Romanesi

▹ 44, Brazil. Photography.
2nd entry
“I express myself though nature macro photography. This technique represents one of my personality traits: curiosity. After taking this photo, I felt delivered from anxieties that were provoked by my husband’s heart attack, which he has now recovered from.”

“Arterial IX”, 2016 – Print photography on paper – 90 x 60 cm (35 x 24 in.)

Lionel Sabatté

▸ 44, France. Mixed media techniques
“The realm of the living as well as the transformation of material due to the passage of time are at the heart of my work. I cultivate material that carries within it the trace of a living thing: dust, ash, coal, dead skin, tree stumps…These elements are combined with unexpected material and works are thus created.”

“Red fortune and sub cutaneous,” 2019 – Oil on canvas. 130 x 130 cm (51 x 51 in.)

Julian Semiao

▸ 23, France. Painting.
2nd entry
“Having been influenced by the strength of raw art and by the vitality of neo-expressionism and free figuration, I draw my sources of inspiration into spontaneous and engaged pop art. I’m showing my vision of a contemporary society that is constantly in motion.”

“Exile,” 2019 – Acrylic on canvas. 190 x 165 cm

Tim Smith

▸ 41, Canada (Manitoba). Photography
“I built relationships of trust with the Hutterite communities of western Canada over the course of the last ten years. Their culture continues to be preserved thanks to their deliberate separation from the dominant society and their system of financial self-reliance. They represent perhaps the most successful attempt at community life in modern history. The selected work is the portrait of Justin after his second day of slaughtering thousands of laying hens. The work is hard, and most of the able members of the colony must participate.”

“Portrait of Justin Hofer,” 2015. Digital photography. Variable dimension.

Marc David Spengler

▸ 24, Germany. Painting
“I focus on illustrations and abstract compositions. My creative approach includes creating abstract worlds via the spontaneous painting process. Each of my images is created without drawing pencil on paper, because the first sketch is generally the best and must therefore become the final image. This approach has made me both a creator and an observer.”

“Untitled,” 2020 – Acrylic on paper. 25 x 36 cm (10 x 14 in.)

Anibal Vallejo

▸ 44, Colombia. Painting
“I am interested first and foremost in the fundamentals of painting: color, shape, composition, movement, and area. In the selected work, the hand-embroidered drawing exorcizes my creative process that lasts for hours, for days, almost like a mantra that completes the pictorial language by giving the painting a third dimension.”

“Sin Título, #537” (Untitled, #537), 2018. Acrylic and hand embroidery on canvas. 200 x 150 cm (79 x 59 in.)

List of finalists for the 2019 Luxembourg Art Prize

Fosca Boggi

▸ Age 58, Italy, merchant
Inspiration: Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat

"Pony Rock", 2018, molding technique entirely in glazed ceramic, assembled without glue and therefore can be fully disassembled, 52 x 65 x 38 cm (20 x 26 x 15 in.)

Sara Bomans

▸ Age 37, Belgium, graphic arts teacher
Inspiration: Frida Kahlo, Louise Bourgeois, Sophie Calle, Hans Op de Beeck, Michael Borremans, Rinus van de Velde

"I used to be sexy #5", 2018, human hair sewn to waxed paper, 32 x 26,7 cm (12.5 x 10.5 in.)

Jenna Hobbs

▹ Age 34, Alberta (Canada), stay-at-home mom
Inspiration: Norman Rockwell, Sally Mann, Kirsten Lewis, Joy Prouty

"Mama tried", 2019, photograph, 57 x 84 cm (22 x 33 in.)

Yannick Ilito Betofe

▸ 28 years old, Belgium & Congo (Kinshasa)
Inspiration: Caravaggio, Francis Bacon, Jenny Saville, Lucian Freud, Marlene Dumas, Berlinde de Bruyckere, Jérôme Zonder, Leonard Cohen, Sarah kane, Henri Michaux, Andrei Tarkovsky, Tomas Tranströmer, Fabienne Verdier

"Ida", 2015, Acrylic on paper, 107 x 126.5 cm (42 x 50 in.)

Clay Johnson

▸ 55 years old, USA (Wyoming)
Inspiration: Agnes Martin, Brice Marden, Diego Velázquez, Edgar Degas, Frank Auerbach, Franz Kline, Kasimir Malevich, Mark Rothko, Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, Richard Diebenkorn, Richard Serra, Vincent van Gogh, Willem de Kooning, Édouard Vuillard, Robert Natkin

"Box Out", 2019, acrylic on aluminum panel, 122 x 122 cm (48 x 48 in.)

Martin Lyonnet

▸ 31 years old, France
Inspiration: Aaron Siskind, Daniel Buren, Egon Schiele, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Pablo Picasso, Jacques Villeglé, Chaïm Soutine, Oscar Munoz, Carlos Cruz-Diez

"10h44", 2019, paint and collage, 161 x 114 cm (63 x 45 in.)

Adele Razkövi

▸ 41 years old, Austria
Inspiration: Eadweard Muybridge, Leonardo da Vinci, Art Brut, Eduardo Roca, Frederique Edy

"Collective Intelligence", 2018, wire and metal mesh, variable dimensions

Jon Setter

▸ 29 years old, Australia (New South Wales) & USA (Michigan)
Inspiration: Aaron Siskind, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Ellsworth Kelly, Michael Wolf, Piet Mondrian, Richard Diebenkorn, Stephen Shore, Thomas Struth, Yoshinori Mizutani, Andrea Grutzner, Todd Eberle, Gerry Johansson

"An Intersection of Lines and Colours", 2018, photograph, 130 x 90 cm (51 x 35 in.)

Izumi Ueda Yuu

▸ 71 years old, Japan & Portugal
Inspiration: Christian Boltanski, Claes Oldenburg, Kiki Smith, Louise Bourgeois, Philip Guston

"The Passage", 2019, sumi ink on paper, 198 x 210 cm (78 x 83 in.)

Duncan Wylie

▸ Age 44, United Kingdom & Zimbabwe
Inspiration: David Hockney, El Greco, Georg Baselitz, Gerhard Richter, Howard Hodgkin, Willem de Kooning, Gordon Matta Clark, Robert Smithson

"Undercurrent (Johannesburg/Londres)", 2018, oil and alkyd on canvas, 171 x 220 cm (67 x 87 in.)

Jenny Ymker

▸ 50 years old, Netherlands
It was her third submission to the Luxembourg Art Prize!
Inspiration: Cindy Sherman, Francesca Woodman, Grayson Perry, Louise Bourgeois

"Vervlogen (Bygone)", 2018, tapestry woven in the Gobelins style, wool and cotton, 193 x 291 cm (76 x 114 in.)

List of finalists for the 2018 Luxembourg Art Prize

Tsuyu Bridwell

▹ 51 years old, Japan & France
Sources of Inspiration: Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy, Edward Hopper, Gabriel Orozco, Henri Matisse, Jean-Michel Othoniel, John Baldessari, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

"Wave", 2018. Cotton paper, ink, Swarovski crystals, sterling silver leaf. 70 x 210 cm (28 x 83 in.)

Lúcia Costa

▹ 57 years old, Brazil
Specialty: Acrylic paint
Sources of Inspiration: El Lissitzky, Kazimir Malevich, M. C. Escher, Theo van Doesburg, Vik Muniz, Vincent van Gogh

"Tons de azul" ("Shades of blue"), 2016. Acrylic on canvas. 160 x 120 cm (63 x 47 in.)

Alexis Couzino

▸ 26 years old, Canada (Quebec)
Sources of Inspiration: Damien Hirst, David LaChapelle, Jeff Koons
Specialty: Performance, photography, print media.

"Mirages 5", 2018. Performance, photography, digital collage, print media. 152 x 102 cm (60 x 40 in.)

Anna Herrgott

▸ 35 years old, Germany
Sources of Inspiration: Orlan, Vanessa Beecroft

"Marquardt", 2015. Nails and string on printed photographs. 3 panels, each 45 x 35 cm (18 x 14 in.). Edition 3/3

Shawn Huckins

▸ 34 years old, USA (Colorado)
Specialty: Painting
Sources of Inspiration: David Hockney, Edward Ruscha, George Caleb Bingham, Gilbert Stuart, John Singleton Copley, Richard Estes, Wayne Thiebaud

"Nothing Rhymes with Orange" (George Washington, White House Art Collection Erasure No. 5), 2018. Acrylic on canvas. 81 x 66 cm (32 x 26 in.)

Hanna Margetson-Rushmore

▸ 22 years old, United Kingdom & USA
Sources of Inspiration: Agnes Martin, Eva Hesse, On Kawara, Sol LeWitt
Specialty: Drawing on paper

"Mark Field", 2018. Drawing on Strathmore paper, pen. 56 x 76 cm (22 x 30 in.)

Noah James Saunders

▹ 38 years old, USA (Georgia)
Specialty: wire sculpture
Sources of Inspiration: Alexander Calder, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Pablo Picasso

"Your Muse Is a Bitch", 2017. Wire sculpture, galvanized steel wire, wire mesh. 122 x 132 x 5 cm (48 x 52 x 2 in.)

Eugenio Schirone

▸ 17 years old, Italy
Sources of Inspiration: Hieronymus Bosch, Paolo Uccello
Specialty: Digital Photography

"L'Eterno E Il Temporale" ("The Eternal and the Temporal"), 2018. Digital photograph on paper. 40 x 186 cm (16 x 73 in.). Triptych

Ritu Binhay Sinha

▸ 42 years old, India
Sources of Inspiration: Edvard Munch, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin
Specialty: Painting on paper and mixed media

"My First Day in This World" (Set of 16 pieces), 2018. Painting, knitting and various materials on paper. 38 x 28 cm (15 x 11 in.) X 16 pieces

Ludovic Thiriez

▹ 34 years old, Hungary & France
Sources of Inspiration: Adrian Ghenie, Albert Oehlen, Cecily Brown, Gerhard Richter, Marlene Dumas, Maurizio Cattelan, Michaël Borremans, Neo Rauch, Peter Doig

"The Boy from the Neighborhood", 2018. Acrylic, ink, oil on linen. 140 x 170 cm (55 x 67 in.)

Géraldine Tobé

▸ 26 years old, Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Sources of Inspiration: Christian Boltanski

"Untitled", 2018. Paint and smoke on canvas. 200 x 190 cm (79 x 75 in.)

Wen Meng-Yu (温孟瑜)

▸ 31 years old, Taiwan
Sources of Inspiration: David Hockney, Peter Doig, René Magritte

"This Day", 2017. Acrylic on canvas, silkscreen. 100 x 80 cm (39 x 31 in.)

List of finalists for the 2017 Luxembourg Art Prize

Maria Eugenia Gamiño Cruz

▸ 56 years old, Mexico
Specialty: Sculpture
Sources of Inspiration: Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy, Anthony Caro, Antony Gormley, Carl Andre, Christo & Jeanne-Claude, Gabriel Orozco, Joseph Beuys, Louise Bourgeois

"Encuadre De Distintos Tiempos" (Frame Representing Different Moments), 2014, Mixed media (wood, washers and branches). 93 cm x 114 cm x 16 cm (37 x 45 x 6 in.)

Severija Inčirauskaitė-Kriaunevičienė

▸ 40 years old, Lithuania
Specialty: Sculpture in cross-stitch on metal
Sources of Inspiration: Banksy, Jeff Koons, Joseph Beuys, Louise Bourgeois

"Donald Bubble Gum", 2016. Drilling, welding, cross-stitch, 4 old metal buckets, cotton, various chewing gum papers under glass frame. 120 cm x 600 cm x 40 cm (47 x 236 x 16 in.)

Jarik Jongman

▸ 55 years old, Netherlands
Specialty: Painting
Sources of Inspiration: Adrian Ghenie, Anselm Kiefer, Peter Doig

"It’s Gonna Be Great, It’s Gonna Be Fantastic", 2017. Oil, acrylic, tar, plaster, and gold leaf on panel. 180 x 244 cm (71 x 96 in.)

Vladimir Kartashov (Владимир Карташов)

▸ 20 years old, Russia
Specialty: Oil painting
Sources of Inspiration: Diego Rivera, El Greco, Giorgio de Chirico

"Фантомы прошедших эпох" ("Fantasies of Past Eras"), 2016. Oil on canvas. 160 x 120 cm (63 x 47 in.)

Jennifer Krause Chapeau

▸ 55 years old, USA (New Jersey)
Sources of Inspiration: Alice Neel, Anselm Kiefer, Chantal Joffe, Eric Fischl, Fairfield Porter, George Bellows, Gerhard Richter, Gustave Caillebotte, Gustav Klimt, John Singer Sargent, Lois Dodd, Neil Welliver, Rackstraw Downes, Vincent van Gogh, Yvonne Jacquette

"Colza Field II", 2015. Oil on canvas. 66 x 87 cm (26 x 34 in.)

Jeppe Lauge

▸ 37 years old, Denmark & the Netherlands
Specialty: Painting
Sources of Inspiration: Adrian Ghenie, David Hockney, Peder Severin Krøyer, Peter Doig

"Rolling Hills", 2017. Oil on canvas, 190 x 230 cm (75 x 91 in.)

Sali Muller

▸ 36 years old, Luxembourg
Specialty: Installation, Sculpture
Sources of Inspiration: Mona Hatoum, Tracey Emin

"Verschiebung der Wirklichkeit" ("Change of reality"), 2017. Mirror and cut frame. 102 x 98 x 4 cm (40 x 39 x 2 in.)

Alexandra de Pinho

▸ 40 years old, Portugal
Specialty: Fabric, stitched thread, and watercolor on paper
Sources of Inspiration: Ellen Gallagher, Louise Bourgeois, Lygia Clark, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Robert Rauschenberg, Shirin Neshat

"Cartas Dispersas I" ("Scattered Letters I"), 2017. Fabric, sewn lines and watercolor on paper. 50 x 100 cm (20 x 39 in.)

Steeven Salvat

▹ 26 years old, France
Specialty: Rotring and India ink drawing on paper, antique engraving
Sources of Inspiration: Albrecht Dürer, Gustave Doré, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Leonardo da Vinci

"Mentonapodes", 2017. Rotring and India ink on Canson paper washed with black tea. 29 x 41 cm (11 x 16 in.)

René Seifert

▸ 36 years old, Germany
Sources of Inspiration: Gerhard Richter, Jackson Pollock, Pierre Huyghe, Rosemarie Trockel, Paul Klee, Alexander McQueen, Sterling Ruby, Christopher Wool, Autechre, Superflex, Santiago Sierra, Allan Turing, Immanuel Kant, Husserl, Wittgenstein, John Berger, Marcuse, Hannah Ahrendt, Foucault, Bourdieux, Einstein, Hawking Uvm

"TRA n EC (4)", 2016. Lacquer on transparent polyester film & aluminum. 180 x 135 cm (71 x 53 in.)

Lalula Vivenzi

▹ 31 years old, Colombia & Italy
Specialty: Photography
Sources of Inspiration: Andy Warhol, Frida Kahlo, M. C. Escher, Marina Abramović, Sandro Botticelli, Yayoi Kusama

"Fosa común" ("Common Pit"), 2016. Digital photography. Edition 1/3. 106 x 150 cm (42 x 59 in.)

Muhammad Z Zaman

▹ 26 years old, USA (New Jersey)
Specialty: Painting & calligraphy
Sources of Inspiration: Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko

"Darkness and Light", 2016. Acrylic on canvas. 91 x 61 cm (36 x 24 in.)

List of finalists for the 2016 Luxembourg Art Prize

Alexei A. Izmaylov

▸ Age 31, Russia and the UK
Speciality: mixed media
Inspiration: Asger Jorn, Cy Twombly, Donald Judd, Edward Ruscha, Erwin Wurm, Francis Bacon, Franz West, Guy Bourdin, Hans Haacke, John Baldessari, Juergen Teller, Marcel Duchamp, Marlene Dumas, Ryan McGinley, Sarah Lucas, Thomas Ruff

"Untitled (Fig. 2)", 2016, mixed media on canvas, 120 x 100 cm, unique

Renata Franzky

▹ Age 47, Germany
Speciality: painting
Inspiration: Anselm Kiefer, Caravaggio, El Greco, Lucian Freud, Maria Lassnig, Max Beckmann

"Anuntiatio en Supermercado", 2016, acrylic on canvas, 170 x 135 cm, unique

Jaeyeol Han

▸ Age 33, South Korea
Speciality: painting
Inspiration: Jenny Saville, Paul Cézanne, Peter Paul Rubens, Willem de Kooning

"Passersby, Unmask", 2013, oil on canvas, 91 x 73 cm, unique

John Haverty

▸ Age 29, USA (Massachusetts)
Specialities: painting, drawing
Inspiration: Dieric Bouts, Hieronymus Bosch, Salvador Dalí

"Circus", 2015, "Gangrene" series, ink and watercolour on paper, 120 x 120 cm, unique

Bartosz Kołata

▸ Age 37, Poland and Germany
Speciality: painting
Inspiration: Ambrosius Holbein, Andrzej Wróblewski, David Hockney, Jan van Eyck, Marlene Dumas

"Chandelier", 2016, oil on canvas, 60 x 60 cm, unique

Maurice Mbikayi

▸ Age 42, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa
Specialities: video, sculpture
Inspiration: Joseph Beuys, Louise Bourgeois, Marcel Duchamp, Yinka Shonibare

"Web Jacket", 2015, digital video, 9 minutes, edition of 5 + 3 artist proofs

Graciana Piaggio

▹ Age 45, Argentina
Speciality: photography
Inspiration: Adriana Lestido, Frank Auerbach, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Joel Meyerowitz, Josef Sudek, Minor White, Nicolas de Staël, Richard Diebenkorn, Rinko Kawauchi, Sally Mann, Willem de Kooning

"The burden of time", 2006-2016, 20 fine-art prints on baryta paper, 40 x 60 cm each, 200 x 350 cm together, edition of 12

Jose Sierra Vega

▸ Age 26, Colombia
Speciality: photography
Inspiration: Felix Gonzales-Torres, George Platt Lynes, Gilbert & George, Marcel Duchamp, Nan Goldin, Robert Mapplethorpe, Wilhelm von Gloeden

"Sans titre", 2016, self-portrait, fine-art print on baryta paper, 100 x 80 cm, unique

Melissa Vandenberg

▸ Age 38, USA (Kentucky)
Speciality: sculpture
Inspiration: Carrie Mae Weems, Lorna Simpson, Louise Bourgeois, Shirin Neshat, Yinka Shonibare

"Sink or Swim: Family Style", 2012, life jackets, American flags, wood, 122 x 43 x 61 cm, unique

Simon Vienne

▸ Age 24, France
Speciality: photography
Second entry to the Luxembourg Art Prize (2015, 2016)
Inspiration: Andreas Gursky, Gregory Crewdson, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Josef Koudelka, Peter Lindbergh, Philippe Halsman, Sebastião Salgado, Stephen Shore, Steve McCurry, Vivian Maier, William Klein, Willy Ronis

"Soccer Time", 2015, fine-art print on baryta paper, edition of 3

List of finalists for the 2015 Luxembourg Art Prize

June Allen

▸ 52 years old, Franco-American. Born in the USA. Lives in France

"Triptych", 2015, cut-up writing on the creative process reconstituted at random and stuck behind tracing paper between two panes of glass, 67 x 29 cm (3 panels)