This year, the caliber of talent within the Sculpture Award category has been nothing short of extraordinary. We have been deeply moved by the diverse range of vision, technical mastery, and innovative use of materials presented by sculptors from around the globe.
Our Jury Panel – including esteemed sculptor Matthias Verginer – have been reviewing the entries. With such a wealth of exceptional work, the task of selecting this year’s finalists has been an incredibly difficult, yet inspiring challenge; we are deeply honoured by our community’s interest in the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize.
We have received sculptures in many mediums including polymer clays, resins, stone and stoneware and semi-precious stones, mica powder, metals, glass, paper, organic materials such as wool, wood, bamboo and mother of pearls; textiles, leather and latex, ceramics, LED lighting, magnets, found and second hand objects, and much more! The innovation and imagination of the artists who have entered has amazed us. Every year we are introduced to new ideas and levels of experimentation.
The Prizes
Sculpture Award
The Sculpture Award 1st prize winner will receive:
- $1,500 USD cash, generously donated by Nanny Goat Gallery, a gallery celebrating new and contemporary representational art predominantly in the pop surreal, narrative, and fantasy genres.
- $1,500 USD cash, generously donated by Jan Corey Helford. Jan Corey Helford is the co-owner of Corey Helford Gallery (CHG), first established in 2006 and has since evolved into one of the premier galleries of New Contemporary art. CHG represents a diverse collection of international artists, primarily influenced by today’s pop culture and collectively encompassing style genres such as New Figurative Art, Pop Surrealism, Neo Pop, Graffiti and Street Art, and Post-Graffiti.
- $400 USD worth of services from Stan Winston School, including an all-access 1 year subscription which includes unlimited access to their Course Library by The Masters of FX, with new courses added every month. Plus exclusive access to the Behind-the-Scenes Documentary stream.
- $250 USD worth of supplies of your choice from Sculpey, making polymer oven-bake clays for over 50 years.
- A beautiful, specially commissioned glass art award trophy.
- The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at 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 media 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 Beautiful Bizarre Magazine and Naia Museum. Located in the park of the castle of Rochefort-en-Terre, a picturesque village in Brittany, the Naia Museum is a unique place in Europe: both a private museum and art gallery. In the fantastic and visionary universe of Naia, sculptures, paintings, digital works, kinetic works, photographs, videos, comics and illustrations are exhibited.
- $220 USD worth of services from Stan Winston School, including a 3 month subscription including full access to the entire course library. Plus exclusive access to the Behind-the-Scenes Documentary stream.
- The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco, USA, alongside 110+ 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 Naia Museum. Located in the park of the castle of Rochefort-en-Terre, a picturesque village in Brittany, the Naia Museum is a unique place in Europe: both a private museum and art gallery. In the fantastic and visionary universe of Naia, sculptures, paintings, digital works, kinetic works, photographs, videos, comics and illustrations are exhibited.
- $100 USD worth of services from Stan Winston School, including a 1 month subscription including full access to the entire course library. Plus exclusive access to the Behind-the-Scenes Documentary stream.
- The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco, USA, alongside 110+ 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.
The Grand Prize Award Winner of the 2026 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize will receive:
- $10,000 USD cash, donated by our Platinum sponsors Catherine K. Gyllerstrom, Bearwolf Books, INPRNT, RAYMAR, 33PA and MPB.
- 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.
- 10 page in-depth interview editorial published in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine December 2026 issue.
- 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.
- 12 month social media advertising package (Beautiful Bizarre Magazine: 2 million+ followers across all social media platforms).
- A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.
Art & Fable Puzzle Company People’s Choice Award
The Art & Fable Puzzle Company People’s Choice Award Winner will be selected by popular vote from the 200 Finalists [25 per Drawing, Digital Art, Photography, Sculpture, Imaginative Realism and Emerging Artist Award category, and 50 for Painting Award category].
The Art & Fable Puzzle Company People’s Choice Award Winner will receive $1,000 USD cash, a year’s worth of social media advertising through the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine social media [2+ million followers], and a 12 month membership to the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory to ensure they are able to connect with the right audience of engaged creatives, collectors, curators and gallerists. Enabling them to raise their profile, associate their work with other leading creatives, and of course to grow their social media following. Plus more!
Voting will open on 2 September [AEDT, Australian Eastern Daylight Time]. To ensure you don’t miss your chance to vote, please join our email mailing list here.
In addition, each sponsor will choose one outstanding work from their award category to receive an Honourable Mention. Stay tuned to learn more!
The MPB Photography Award, INPRNT Digital Art Award, 33PA Drawing Award, Catherine K. Gyllerstrom Imaginative Realism Award, and RAYMAR Painting Award Finalists will be announced later this week. See the BearWolf Books Emerging Artist Finalists here.
So without further ado we are proud to announce the Sculpture Award Finalists of the 2026 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize…
Sculpture Award Finalists
2026 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize
Leah Aripotch
“Iris” (Steel, 18 x 13 x 13″)
I built Iris through forging and fabrication techniques, using heat, hammers, welding, grinding, and carving to transform steel into an anthropomorphic flower. Flowers are often associated with beauty and fragility, but this one has developed teeth. Its elegant form draws the viewer in, while the threat hidden inside suggests a vulnerable organism protecting itself by becoming dangerous. Through this contradiction, I explore the difficulty of vulnerability and the desire to remain open despite the instinct to protect oneself.
“Dreamcatcher” (Stoneware, colored glazes, gold leaf, underglaze, 160 x 51 x 32cm)
“Dreamcatcher” is a monumental exploration of subconscious architecture. Built in blocks to reflect the fragmented nature of dreams, it serves as a totem capturing ephemeral visions that dissolve by morning. The raw, unglazed clay contrasts with vivid underglazes and gold flashes, symbolizing sudden bursts of memory. Red vertical lines act as a net, filtering a chaotic swarm of birds and insects—metaphors for hidden fears and daytime anxieties. The crowning disk reveals a truth about human nature: like the social masks we wear, its meaning shifts entirely depending on the angle of perception. This sculpture captures the exact moment we look within to reconcile fear with hope, restoring our spiritual equilibrium.
“The Calling” (Fired clay, acrylic, mercerized cotton perle thread, 24 x 20 x 18″)
Representing a vital moment of awakening when an inner voice grows impossible to ignore, “The Calling” embodies a transitional state where identity is not fixed but actively renegotiated. The netted fabric, delicate in appearance but insidiously restrictive, symbolizes invisible structures that shape how we inhabit ourselves – belief systems, emotional conditioning, and social frameworks. The clarity of the self underneath is obscured, quietly bound in an inherited way of being. Hearing a call beyond the structure, freedom begins not with the removal of constraints, but with her first bold act of pressing back against what was previously defined for her. The fraying edges of the fabric signal the beginnings of self-authorship-the moment of choosing for herself a life more clearly her own.
“Requiem of a Dying Sea” (Stoneware Paper Clay, Oil Paint, (Mixed Media – Nylon Net, Resin), 36 x 21 x 19″)
Requiem of a Dying sea unites sculpture and painting to confront the accelerating ecological crisis unfolding beneath our oceans. A deity-like figure, crowned with bleached coral, cradles a dying pelican while lifeless fish lie ensnared in discarded netting, evoking the devastating consequences of climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction. Traditional Japanese tattoo imagery covers the figure’s body, symbolizing endurance, perseverance, and the resolve to confront overwhelming adversity. Standing between myth and reality, the work transforms mourning into witness, becoming both an elegy for vanishing reefs and marine life and a monument to resilience. It invites viewers to reflect on humanity’s responsibility to protect the fragile ecosystems upon which all life depends.
“Tethered” (Bronze, 143 x 51 x 35cm)
Tethered (Valkyrie) inspired by the 13th century Volsunga saga where the hero Sigurd discovers a sleeping Valkyrie Brynhidr Surrounded by a ring of fire. The sculpture embodies the ethereal, untamed spirit of the Valkyries in a signature dark, surreal style.
“Garden Of The Sea” (Glazed ceramic, 26 x 24 x 22cm)
This is the bottom of the sea, where the memories and feelings that people let go of, up in the world above, drift down and quietly settle. Here, someone tends a garden. What grows in it are those forgotten memories: released and sinking, they take root and sprout like water plants in the dark. The gardener waters them with great care, turns them toward what little light there is, and raises each memory as tenderly as a living thing. Long ago, this gardener loved and tended flowers on land, in that same world above. And so, even here at the floor of the sea, nothing that was let go is left to wither — every lost memory is gathered up, planted, and lovingly grown.
“Born in Bloom” (resin, epoxy clay, metal wire, acrylic paint, 27 x 15 x 15″)
Born in the Bloom Roots & Wings Series, she rises from the earth like an exotic flower, unfolding through the body as dance. Rooted and luminous, she carries the nature of an orchid: mysterious, graceful, delicate in form, yet quietly powerful. This piece is connected to the energy of the solar plexus: the center of will, confidence, and personal power awakening from within. Strength here is not force. It is radiance arriving through the body, a quiet bloom becoming undeniable. This piece arrived right after my birthday as a genuine unfolding, not planned, but called forth through movement, sensation, and form.
“Resurgence: The Mother Power” (Stainless Steel, Metallic Paints, 25 x 40 x 17″)
Everything moves in waves. Breath, blood, tides, seasons – life unfolds through continual cycles of expansion and contraction, birth and decay. Rather than opposing one another, these movements belong to the same living pulse. Resurgence: The Mother Power gives form to this pulse. Her body appears alive in motion, simultaneously unfurling and gathering inward, moving with the rhythms that live beneath the surface of all things.
“Brave” (Clay, 60 x 21 x 18″)
Brave portrays a young girl standing with courage, her gaze steady. Crowned with branches that cradle two baby owls, she embodies a connection to nature. Her stance, feet rooted in the earth, reflects the strength and resilience found in innocence. This sculpture honors the innate bravery within every child who meets the world with open eyes and a steadfast heart.
“Vestige” (Wood, onyx, leather, hemp cord, metal, acrylic paint, 52 x 32 x 14cm)
We live fully, moment to moment, without knowing what comes after — striving even when we cannot tell if our choices are wise or foolish. Death comes regardless, and most lives are simply forgotten by time. At the mossy foot of a tree, among a deer’s decayed bones, something seems to pass at the edge of sight. Is it only imagination? We who are still living can only guess. Does a vanishing life mean nothing, then? The stag that once ran through this forest, the child who clung to it — neither exists now, in anyone’s memory. Does living mean nothing, then? Even a life completely forgotten does not become meaningless. It was once real: a time, a feeling, a presence. As a marionette, this work lets those traces move again, however briefly, guided by the hands of the living.
“Melting” (Polymer clay, aluminium, wire, pigments, mother of pearl, acrylic paint, varnish, 21 x 10 x 14cm)
“Melting” is the goddess of heat waves. I made this sculpture during the June 2026 heat wave in France. I created this sculpture in fear – the fear you feel when you have no control on your environment, when you can do nothing about your situation and feel completely helpless. I had the feeling I was melting, the city around me was melting, and the whole world was melting. And that it was only the beginning. Sometimes I’ve been almost unable to work because of the heat, but I went on, because sculpting is the best remedy against my anxiety. The aesthetic of this sculpture has been inspired by leftovers of molten candles at home. I was hypnotized by the way the wax was dripping, layer after layer, candle after candle, and I was wondering: how would wax react if it were a living being?
“Rainy day” (polymer clay, cotton fabric, leather, wool, old watch parts, 33 x 10 x 10cm)
Rainy day is a one of a kind 100% handmade original mixed media sculpture. Sculpted with polymer clay over a wire armature. Hair made from lamb hair, outfit made from cotton fabric and leather. I used old watch gears for the earrings. The piece is inspired by ‘one of those days’, when everything goes bad and we just need a hug. Since I created this character, this sculpture meant many things to many people. I love how each viewer can see a different story.
“Aleto Guards Their Nest” (coloured porcelain, 35 x 34 x 35cm)
‘Aleto Guards Their Nest’ is part of an ongoing world-building project called “The Watchers” which uses play and whimsy to cultivated feelings of care and wonder towards our natural environment. This fictional world features forest spirits (the Watchers) who play an unknown but vital role in the function of our world. They are visible only to a select few, so to catch sight of these ephemeral creatures is considered a great privilege.
“Into the Blue” (Bronze, 54 x 58 x 23cm)
Into the Blue explores the symbolic act of diving as a gesture of curiosity, trust, and transformation. Through the graceful movement of the animal, the sculpture reflects the human tendency to project emotions, desires, and aspirations onto the natural world. Rather than offering a fixed narrative, the work invites personal interpretation, allowing each viewer to discover their own meaning. The dive becomes a metaphor for exploration, of the unknown, of ourselves, and of the courage required to let go, embrace uncertainty, and move toward new possibilities.
“The Witch” (Polymer clay, 20 x 14 x 19cm)
The sculpture The Witch was born primarily from my desire to include the two elements I most enjoy sculpting. On the one hand, the female anatomy, seeking to show it in all its reality of folds, shape, flesh and weight; and on the other, the animal kingdom, bringing as much realism as possible to this scale. Always inspired by the classical sculpture, I tried to bring my own esthetic to it. The theme of the witch has always fascinated me, but I wanted to bring my own vision to it, one that is closer to nature and its power. She moves without touching the ground, carried by the smoke she generates, in which she creates the animals that carry and protect her. This piece was a technical challenge to bring my idea to life. Hope you’ll like her.
“The Swarm” (Polymer clay, hand painted, gold leaf, unique piece, 26 x 19 x 19cm)
Release, as the only way through. In her solo show “Midnight Bloom” in which “The Swarm” has been created, Ornélie presents female figures that appear composed, yet are already beginning to give way. Beneath the surface, something adapts, reorganizes, survives. What emerges is not chosen, but necessary. Beauty becomes a survival instinct.
Jale Soysal
“The First Arrow” (Epoxy clay, Metal, Acrylic paint, Resin, Silk, 45 x 41 x 32cm)
I am drawn to birds for their extraordinary diversity, beauty, and association with freedom, I use avian symbology as a vessel for longing, escape, and whimsy. ‘The First Arrow’ represents my discomfort in an imperfect world and my inability to change what I fundamentally am, and it explores my interest in blending nature, surrealism, and visceral imagery. altered enough to suggest deeper mythologies beneath the surface.
“Surface Tension” (Hand cut layered paper, vellum, and programmed LED lighting, 20 x 16 x 3″)
Art is my language. I find a sense of grounding through my artistic process of transforming simple materials into something beautiful. The challenge of turning the hard, cold medium of paper into soft edges and warm lines provides me with an endless series of puzzles. I cut every line by hand, a process as complex as it is organic—a process that makes the art feel timeless and meditative. The lighting is the capstone that brings a beautiful transformative element to my work. The creation of “Surface Tension”, for me, was a meditation on expectations and boundaries both subject-wise and through techniques and materials. Composed of only white paper and light, it pulls at the viewer to adjust their assumptions of the world and to explore the idea of “what if”.
“The Weight of Staying” (Resin, 74 x 67 x 53cm)
“The Weight of Staying” explores a state of internal tension in which the body becomes a site of resistance. The figure grips tightly to its base, refusing to let go, its posture compressed and weighted, suspended between tension and release. The gesture suggests both physical strain and emotional attachment, where staying becomes an active, almost visceral act. Rooted in personal experience, the work reflects moments in which change feels necessary yet unresolved. Through its intensity and material presence, the sculpture engages themes of resistance, uncertainty, and the difficulty of letting go, inhabiting a space where the body holds what cannot yet be released.
“Birdgirl- Pamthony” (ceramic, various fabrics and threads, wire, wading, mica powder, timber and wool felt, 72 x 25 x 31cm)
With a love for ancient mythology and symbolism, this Birdgirl is part of a growing flock I began a few years ago. The fusing of bird and human forms, reimagines mythical creatures like the Siren, Harpy, Pamola and Peri, drawing on symbols of transformation, freedom, and power, while placing them in a contemporary context.
“DARKSHINA” (Bronze, 80 x 80 x 28cm)
The Benevolent Mother She is the bridge between creation and destruction, and reminds us that destruction can sometimes pave the way for new beginnings. The moment that this piece represents is after the anger, where the goddess realizes her destruction and, upon calming herself, enters a tantric state where she transcends time and space.
“Lost Princess” (Mixed media (clay, wood, fabric, paint), 17 x 26 x 7cm)
A cheerful and innocent princess, resembling a character from a children’s story about a kingdom “far far away,” suddenly discovers herself seated on a New York subway bench beside a homeless rat. This surprising twist happened because of a mix-up at the publishing house. Her enchanting world is filled with bright blue skies, fluffy marshmallow mountains, and sweet candy trees. However, her adventure takes an unexpected turn when some pages from her story get mixed with a book about real-life New York in the 1980s.
“SERAPHIM: Sandhill Cranes” (Stoneware clay, epoxy, steel, wood, N52 magnets, oil paint, varnish, 60 x 32 x 29″)
My work refers to my religious upbringing and academic studies of anthropology and anatomy. I explore belief structures and duality through human and animal figures, focusing on realism, life-size scale, and movement. This piece is part of a series based on the realms of angels according to the Christian bible. The seraphim are deemed closest to god, depicted as many winged entities, surrounded by light, acting as agents of purification and transformation. Reimagining these creatures through the natural world, I use converging images to achieve a sense of other worldliness. The structure remains modular, breaking apart into 8 components using an internal steel structure, wood backing, and magnets. The technical construction allows for a 5 ft tall sculpture to appear weightless on the wall.
“ÉXTASIS” (Welded and painted iron, 215 x 255 x 105cm)
ÉXTASIS, perteneciente a la serie La fugacidad de la existencia, materializa una reflexión sobre la naturaleza de lo real. La obra plantea que cuanto percibimos como materia es, en esencia, un flujo continuo de partículas invisibles, en constante tránsito desde el origen del cosmos. Lejos de la idea de solidez, todo se revela como vibración y transformación. En este contexto, el vacío no es ausencia, sino fundamento: el espacio primordial que sostiene, articula y da sentido a toda forma y a toda existencia.
ÉXTASIS, (ecstacy) part of the series The Fleeting Nature of Existence, embodies a reflection on the nature of reality. The work posits that what we perceive as matter is, in essence, a continuous flow of invisible particles, in constant transit since the origin of the cosmos. Far from the idea of solidity, everything reveals itself as vibration and transformation. In this context, emptiness is not absence, but foundation: the primordial space that sustains, articulates, and gives meaning to all form and all existence.
“Rook Osseus Pestiferus” (Cold porcelain, mixed medias and copper, 76 x 47 x 34cm)
This sculpture highlights the rook, a species considered a pest. Yet these creatures belong as much to biology and paleontology as to myth. The animal is hollowed out, laid bare. I place its metallic bones like a trophy, a suit of armor. Its skeleton is more than an anatomical remnant. It is a cultural language, a motif, a symbolic relic that our societies project onto the animal to sanctify, accuse, or categorize it. I help the viewer imagine the place they will give to the rest of Earth’s inhabitants in this pantheon of forgotten gods.
The 2026 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize is proudly sponsored by:
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSORS
BRONZE SPONSORS
MEDIA PARTNERS
ACADEMIC PARTNERS
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