Painting Special Prize

A total of €5,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to three artists. The winners will be selected by the Special Prize Jury chaired by professor and artist Yu Ming.

PRIZE CATEGORIES

Painting Special Award (All Painting Media)
€2,000 Cash Prize
Open to artworks created using any painting technique and medium.

Grand Prize for Oil Painting
1st Prize: €2,000 Cash Prize
2nd Prize: €1,000 Cash Prize
Open exclusively to artworks created using oil painting techniques.

Ownership of Awarded Artworks
All awarded artworks will remain the property of the selected artists.

Application Requirements
To participate in the Painting Special Prize, artists must submit a dedicated PDF portfolio (maximum file size: 4 MB) containing examples of their painting works. The portfolio must clearly specify the technique used for each artwork. The PDF file must be uploaded through the dedicated Painting Special Prize application form available in the participant’s reserved area of the Art Laguna Prize online application platform. Only applications that comply with the above requirements will be considered for the Painting Special Prize selection.

Jury
Professor/Artist Yu Ming is a distinguished contemporary Chinese artist and Associate Professor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), where he also serves as a PhD scholar and mentor to master’s students. He is a member of the China Artists Association and a leading figure in contemporary realist painting.
Renowned for his exceptional oil painting technique and artistic achievements, Professor Yu Ming has received significant international recognition. His painting In Bvlag won Best in Show at the 13th ARC International Salon (USA) in 2018 and First Prize at the 19th International Portrait Competition organized by the Portrait Society of America in 2017.
His works have been exhibited internationally and are held in important public and private collections. Professor Yu Ming has also served as a juror for several prestigious international art competitions, including the Tiziano International Art Award and the MEAM Figurativas International Competition at the European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona.
For this Special Prize, Professor Yu Ming will serve as Jury Chair and personally select the winning artists.

WINNERS

1st PRIZE – OIL PAINTING for the 21st edition
Daniela Astone
(Pisa, Italy)

Reason

Daniela Astone — Melting in the Grass
The First Prize is awarded to a work grounded in a pure and confident use of oil painting. Quiet and understated in character, the painting demonstrates a refined and restrained approach to form. Through careful simplification and synthesis, the artist creates a composition that remains rich, vivid and layered. As a single easel painting, the work succeeds in conveying a complete and compelling artistic vision, revealing a mature understanding of the expressive possibilities inherent in oil painting.

2nd PRIZE – OIL PAINTING for the 21st edition
Samanta Rched Abugauch
(Cordoba, Argentina)

Reason

Samanta Rched Abugauch — Felices por siempre
The Second Prize artist takes oil painting as the foundation of the work while integrating it with a three-dimensional spatial presentation, creating a dialogue between painting and installation. The work employs a rich and diverse range of expressive approaches, while maintaining a strong emphasis on the language of painting itself. Its thoughtful conception and carefully constructed atmosphere bring the pictorial and spatial elements into a harmonious relationship, allowing the work to communicate its subject with clarity and artistic coherence.

SPECIAL AWARD – PAINTING (All media) for the 21st edition
Hong Li
(ZheJiang, China)

Reason

Hong Li — Echoes in Monochrome
Hong Li’s abstract work employs mixed media and is predominantly articulated through a white tonal palette, creating a visual language that is at once refined, pure and richly layered. Colour, composition and the inherent qualities of the materials contribute equally to the aesthetic experience of the work. Here, material is not simply a medium but an integral part of the artistic language. The work possesses a strong visual and emotional presence, establishing a compelling relationship between abstraction, materiality and feeling that invites an emotional response from the viewer.

SPECIAL PRIZE DETAILS

3 Cash Prizes for Painting Category
- € 2000 for 1 painting created with any technique
- € 2000 for 1 painting created with oil technique
- € 1000 for 1 painting created with oil technique
To participate in the Painting Special Prize, artists must submit a dedicated PDF portfolio (maximum file size: 4 MB) containing examples of their painting works. The portfolio must clearly specify the technique used for each artwork.