2026 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize: Drawing Art Award Winners Announced!
“Judging a field of work this strong is challenging, because excellence comes in many forms. These clearly skilled and visionary artists use distinct styles and methods to convey a wide range of narratives, making the notion of a “best” simply imperfect. My goal was to evaluate not only the fundamentals of drawing, but also what I understood each artist to be attempting and how successfully that intention was realized.
Imaginative, brilliant, clever, provocative… there is so much deserving work. The standard across the field is exceptional. The result reflects considered judgment of works that can be difficult to compare directly, and the decision was made with care and conviction. I hope those who weren’t selected won’t see the outcome as a measure of their ability or the value of their work. What a pleasure, both visual and intellectual, to study this remarkable body of work.” ~ April Carter, Curator at PoetsArtists and 33 Contemporary Gallery.
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 2026 Jury Panel, particularly esteemed Arts Champion Didi Menendez, Founder of 33PA and Gallery Director of 33 Contemporary Gallery, April Carter, Curator at PoetsArtists and 33 Contemporary Gallery, and award-winning Drawing artist Ed Binkley. Additionally, we warmly thank the artist Judges: Brad Kunkle (Painting juror), Bastien Lecouffe Deharme (Digital Art juror), Matthias Verginer (Sculpture juror), Franz Szony (Photography juror), along with Co-Founder of IX Arts Patrick Wilshire, Vicki Fox, Owner of Quirky Fox Gallery (Emerging Artist Category Juror); and Co-owner & Director of Modern Eden Gallery, Kim Larson.
To our major sponsors: RAYMAR President & Creative Director, Emilie Dietrich; the team at MPB; Owner & Art Director of BearWolf Books, Catherine K. Gyllerstrom; Didi Menendez, Founder of 33PA and Gallery Director of 33 Contemporary Gallery, and Joshua Zika, founder of INPRNT – 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 thank you also to the Beautiful Bizarre team for their dedication and hard work on behalf of the prize and winners all-year round.
Our sincere thanks to this year’s 33PA Drawing Award sponsors. It is through their support and generosity that the Drawing Award Winners will be able to advance their creative practice, and receive the recognition they deserve.
33PA Drawing Award
The 33PA Drawing Award 1st prize winner will receive:
- $3,000 USD cash, generously donated by 33PA, a diversified contemporary realism gallery, art community and publication.
- A fully sponsored retreat experience with Art Escape Italy. This prize provides artists with the opportunity to immerse themselves in a creative workshop, led by a renowned contemporary artist. The prize includes 6 nights of accommodation, all meals & beverages (including wine), 5 days of tuition, as well as open studio access, transfers to a from the retreat, use of easels & solvents, plus evening events. Please note that travel expenses and art supplies are not included. The winner of this prize can choose between any of Art Escape Italy’s 2026 Autumn retreats, all set at a secluded villa in the Italian countryside, designed to inspire and enhance your artistic practice.
- A beautiful, specially commissioned glass art award trophy.
- The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco, USA, alongside 100+ 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 platforms).
- Winning artwork printed in the December 2026 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 33PA, a diversified contemporary realism gallery, art community and publication.
- The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco, USA, alongside 100+ 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 33PA, a diversified contemporary realism gallery, art community and publication.
- The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco, USA, alongside 100+ 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 the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine curated exhibition ‘Glimmer’ at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco, CA, United States later this year, alongside 100+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists!
A glimmer is the exact opposite of a trigger. Glimmers are small, everyday moments that make you feel joy, happiness, peace, or gratitude – which can help cue your nervous system to feel safe or calm. [The term was coined by Deb Dana.]
From the 200 Finalists across all Award categories, the Jury Panel will select the Grand Prize Award Winner.
Congratulations to the 2026 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, 33PA Drawing Award Winners: Hiroshi Hayakawa, Win Wallace, and Marcus Venegas!
3rd Prize Winner
Hiroshi Hayakawa
Currently resides: United States
“Sanctuary” (Graphite on bristol board, 23 x 15″)
Hiroshi Hayakawa’s highly detailed realistic graphite drawings of human figures and portraits magically capture a dreamy-sensual aura, a connection between surreal energy and human beauty. They remind us of an experience of ephemeral beauty and a transient nature of our existence.
“Sanctuary”: This piece “Sanctuary” is about emotionally and physically creating a safe place in human connections. It describes a balancing act of being selflessly giving without unconditionally surrendering and being innocently open without becoming susceptible to harm.
2nd Prize Winner
Win Wallace
Currently resides: United States
“Upon Encountering Cerberus” (Charcoal, conte’ and pencil, 37 x 64″)
Win Wallace was born in South Carolina and is currently based in Lockhart, Texas. His recent practice focuses on pencil, conte’ and charcoal portraits, as well as ink drawings. Since high school, Wallace has played in bands and made scores of flyers for underground punk and noise rock shows. Over the years, he created posters for bands like the Melvins, Neurosis, Sleep, Helios Creed, The Jesus Lizard, DMBQ, Animal Collective, Scratch Acid, The Dead Kennedys and many others. He moved to Austin in the mid 1990’s to study drawing at the University of Texas. His drawings on paper are made with simple materials populated by fictitious individuals. Characters that are as rooted in art history, as they are nestled among the flora and fauna of nature. The work explores the interconnectedness of all things, even the irreconcilable forces of hope and despair in a fragile world. A perfect harmony may not exist, but perhaps an uneasy balance can be possible.
“Upon Encountering Cerberus”: A drawing that is part of my series “Through Dogs’ Eyes”. These works anthropomorphize the fears, failure and hubris in our surrender to environmental collapse and technological fascism.
1st Prize Winner
Marcus Venegas
Currently resides: United States
“where tf am I?” (Pastel on paper, 60 x 100″)
Marcus Venegas (b. 2001, Laredo, TX) earned a BFA in Studio Art from The University of Texas at Austin and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. His work has been featured in publications including Friend of the Artist, Curatory Magazine, Modern Renaissance Magazine, Visual Art Journal, Artistcloseup Contemporary Art Magazine, and International Art Market Magazine, as well as on a Times Square digital billboard. Venegas has exhibited in New York and Austin, including the 39th Annual Chelsea International Fine Arts Competition Exhibition at Agora Gallery (2025), the Tribeca Ball Hallway Exhibition (2025–2026), Plato Gallery’s Pastime (2026), and numerous group exhibitions since 2022. His honors include the President’s Scholar Award (2024–2026), the Martha & Walter Erlebacher Award (2026), the Summer Undergraduate Residency Program Faculty Award (2026), and the Roy Crane Award (2022). He also attended the New York Academy of Art’s Summer Undergraduate Residency Program (2023–2024) and previously received a Gold Key from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and a Gold Seal Medal in the VASE competition (2019).
“where tf am I?”: A queer club scene depicted with pastel, creating an emotional motif with the delicate and smoky manipulation of my material that further references the impetuous actions that come with youth while also highlighting its impermanence. The lyrical composition allows the viewer to immerse themselves in a universe of pictorial poetry and the overall theatrical nature of romance.
The 2026 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize is proudly sponsored by:
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
MEDIA PARTNERS
ACADEMIC PARTNERS
.
