BE OPEN Art: the winners of the Oceania regional competition revealed

LUGANO, Switzerland, July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BE OPEN Art, an online non-profit gallery set up by Elena Baturina's humanitarian think-tank BE OPEN, announces the winners of the 2nd stage in this year's BE OPEN Regional Art, the competition for emerging artists aimed to support those whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities, for the third year now.

For the competition, BE OPEN expert community select artists who represent the artistic tradition of a certain region to offer them greater visibility. The recently finalised stage covered the countries of Oceania: Australia, East Timor, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

The stage lasted three months, and artworks by 20 emerging artists from the listed countries were posted at the online gallery every month, and a public vote selected the Regional Artist of each month. At the end of the stage, based on the amount of votes by the public and the BE OPEN art community members, one of the monthly winners becomes the Artist of the Region.

Our congratulations and the 500 euro grant go to Huriana Kopeke-Te Aho, a self-taught artist and illustrator whose work is deeply rooted in their Maori identity. Through their art, Huriana explores themes of cultural heritage, identity, and the intersection of personal and collective narratives. Their practice seeks to challenge and decolonize conventional artistic expressions while celebrating Maori and Pacific cultural traditions.

Another grantee in BE OPEN Regional Art is a personal choice of the Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina. The 300 euro grant goes to Tania Calvo, an emerging artist from Vanuatu. Inspired by her diverse ethnic background and a deep connection to Vanuatu's artistic heritage, Tania has a strong commitment to self-expression. Her personal mantra: "Always be your true self," infuses her art with authenticity and a vibrant spirit.

BE OPEN expresses deepest gratitude to the Oceanic Art Society for their support in reaching out to the artists of Oceania.

Aiming to support emerging talent, BE OPEN Art selects artists at an early stage of their career who emphasize social consciousness and aesthetical solutions to the wrongs of the contemporary world. The project sees its mission in looking for new influencers in the art scene, and invites everyone to contribute.