Art

Professional jury

• Dirk Freder

  Germany

  Self-taught wildlife and portrait artist, works in many different mediums and mixed media such as pastels, oils and acrylics with brushes, pencils and airbrush to achieve highly detailed, lifelike and realistic results. He won first place in the portrait of the animal category at the Golden Turtle Art Contest in 2024 and second place in 2021. He is a member of the International Guild of Realism where he won American Art Collector Editor’s Choice and Artist Choice awards. He was a finalist of ModPortrait at the European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona and has been finalist several times at the international ARC Salon Competition and some other international fine art competitions and exhibitions.
• Kevin Lapham

  Zimbabwe

  Wildlife artist and winner of the 2018 Golden Turtle Art Competition for the animal portrait category. Kevin works with oil on canvas, mixed media, pen and ink, watercolours and pencil. He also has a degree in information design and was awarded silver in the Loeries Awards for his animation. Kevin's inspiration stems from appreciation of Zimbabwe's wide variety of animals and landscapes.
• Nikita Coulombe

  USA

  Nikita Coulombe is an artist specialising in various genres, including abstract painting, landscapes, and wildlife. The main themes of his paintings revolve around nature and finding balance in the human experience. Born in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1986, Coulombe studied art and psychology at the University of Colorado and later textile design at the California School of Professional Fabric Design in Berkeley. He began his career collaborating with social psychologist Philip Zimbardo, helping to create presentations for his lectures. Since 2019, Coulombe has focused on painting and currently works in Dallas, Texas, creating series dedicated to wildlife, abstract, and conceptual art. His works have been featured in prominent galleries such as The Collective in Dallas and Azadi Fine Art in Jackson, Wyoming. Coulombe has participated in juried exhibitions, including the Birds in Art event at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin, and his work has been recognised in publications like Fine Art Connoisseur and Western Art Collector.
• Ratna Sari

  USA

  Ratna Sari is a Seattle-based graphite wildlife artist dedicated to capturing the beauty and fragility of endangered species with breathtaking realism. Her work is not just a visual tribute to wildlife but an invitation to engage with nature on a deeper level. Through meticulous detail, she seeks to illuminate the delicate balance between survival and extinction, encouraging viewers to reflect on their role in conservation. Her artistic approach is rooted in both technique and storytelling. By drawing with an extraordinary level of realism and depth, she transforms fleeting moments of wildlife into lasting impressions. She finds inspiration in the act of love itself, its presence in nature, and the quiet resilience it fosters.Constantly pushing her artistic boundaries, she experiments with new graphite techniques and studies animal behavior to ensure authenticity in her work. Ratna is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and has received international recognition for her contributions to wildlife art. She was a finalist in David Shepherd’s Wildlife Artist of the Year competition in London and won the Blue Sky Artist Award at Ten Moir Gallery. Her insights and artistic journey have been featured in Boynes Artist Award Winner & Finalist Interviews. Notably, she also won the People’s Choice Award at the Graphite Art Center gallery.
• Timea Bozsoky

  Hungary

  Timea is a hungarian wildlife and pet artist specializing in highly realistic animal portraits using pastels. A certified natural illustrator, I have a deep passion for capturing the essence of animals with precision and emotion. My artworks have been finalists in online competitions such as Teravarna, Wildheart Gallery, and Gallery 4%, and artworks have been exhibited at the Golden Duck Gallery in Budapest. As a member of the Association of Animal Artists, I am dedicated to celebrating the beauty of wildlife through art. Currently based in Bayern, Germany, I am honored to serve as a juror for this competition, supporting fellow artists who share a deep appreciation for nature and animals.
• Elisa Baldissera

  Italy

  Elisa Baldissera graduated at the Albertina Academy of Fine Arts in Turin (Italy), began her career as an illustrator and graphic designer with particular attention to poster design and screen printing, obtaining numerous awards in international poster competitions all over the world (Italy, Slovenia, USA, Japan, Greece, Finland, France, UK, and Germany). At the same time she has a very heterogeneous artistic production: charcoal drawing, painting on transparent film, assembly of recycled materials, light installations. With these works she has obtained numerous awards from 2009 until now. Here somes: Finalist of LAGUNA ART PRIZE, Venice, Italy; Gallery Award - BE NATURAL BE WILD PRIZE, Biella, Italy; First prize MICHELE CEA, Milan, Italy; Finalist WILDLIFE ARTIST OF THE YEAR COMPETITION, London, UK; Finalist ARTEAMCUP, Forlì, Italy; FESTIVAL OGAKI MATSURI COMPETITION, Ogaki Poster Museum, Japan; First prize NICOSIA POSTER COMPETITION, Nicosia, Cyprus; Finalist ADOBE DESIGN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS, San Josè, USA.