World’s Best Acrylic Portraitists: ILICHEV, NHANANGA, GONZALEZ, WOODS, LEIMKUELLER, GEORGIEVA, GÓMEZ JUNYENT, OWERE, BLUME & STEEN / 2025 Art Collectors Choice Awards
Artists from 49 countries competed in the 2025 ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS. 15 international art collectors scored 50 categories of online images covering drawing, painting, sculpture, digital and photography.
The winning works will be revealed in this column one category at a time.
The ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS winners in CATEGORY 2. ACRYLIC — FIGURE represent TURKEY, ZIMBABWE, USA, AUSTRIA, BULGARIA, SPAIN, NIGERIA, GERMANY & NORWAY.
BIO of 1st Place Winner: ALEKSANDR ILICHEV
“When I paint a portrait I create textures, I see to the coloration so that the paint would spread naturally and diversely thus producing an effect of lightness and breadth. I paint spots of color, lines and dots. I know not how to paint psychology, depth of an image or a life lived by someone. And yet in a surprising way this all appears by itself. A mystery inexplicable for me.”
EDUCATION: The Art Institute in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Ceramic department. 1978–1983 / The Art College in Novoaltaisk, Russia. Painting department. 1975–1977 / The Pedagogical College in Bijsk, Russia. Graphic department. 1973–1975
EMPLOYMENT: Studio artist. Mahmutlar, Alanya, Antalya, Turkey since 2019 / Studio artist. Electrostal, Moscow area, Russia since 2002 / Artistic Counsil in The Krasnoyarsk Creative Production Association of The Russia Union of Artists. 1991–1993 / Department head of The Unit of Young Artists of Krasnoyarsk Organisation of The Russia Union of Artists. 1991–1993 / Member of The Russia Union of Artist since 1990
EXHIBITIONS: Solo exhibition. Artbox Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland, 2018 / “The Artbox Projects. New York 1.0”. Stricoff Art Gallery, Chelsea, New York, USA. 2018 / “The Artbox Projects. Basel 1.0”. Basel, Switzerland. 2017 / Personal exhibition “Portrait”. Design Center ART PLAY, Moscow, Russia, 2017 / Spectrum Miami Art Fair. Miami, Florida, USA. 2016 / Group show. Galleri Tornby. Bindslev, Denmark. 2016 / Group show. The Shayne Gallery. Montreal, Canada. 2016 / Group show. The Artbox Gallery. Zug, Switzerland. 2016 / Group show. “Open House Salamanca”. Salamanca, Spain. 2014 / Personal exhibition «Painting». Electrostal, Moscow region, Russia. 2014 / Group show. Central House of Artists, Moscow, Russia. 2013 / Urban exhibition . Electrostal and Noginsk, Moscow region, Russia. 2002–2013 / Group show. Myrna Loy Center, Helena, Montana, USA. 2012 / Two person show “Geniuses and sikarashkies». Electrostal, Moscow region, Russia. 2011 / Two person show “Landscapes”. Moscow, Russia. 2010 / Personal exhibition «Flos florum». Electrostal, Moscow region, Russia. 2009 / Personal exhibition “Temples”. Electrostal, Moscow region, Russia. 2008 / Personal exhibition “Portrait”. Noginsk, Moscow region, Russia. 2008 / Personal exhibition “ Nude “. Electrostal, Moscow region, Russia. 2007 / Two person show “Portrait”. Electrostal, Moscow region, Russia. 2006 / Group show. Leedy-Voulkos Art Center Gallery. Kansas City, Missouri, USA.1995 / Woodstack exhibition. Gallery of Visual Art, Missoula, Montana, USA. 1995 / Two person show. Holter Museum of Art, Helena, Montana, USA. 1995 / Two person show. Bently gallery, Phoenix, Arizona, USA. 1994 / Two person show. Northern Arizona University, Art Museum and Gallery, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. 1994 / Two person show. Bethel College, Wichita, Kansas, USA. 1994 / Two person show. A-style Gallery, Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 1994 / Exhibition and auction «Siberia». Art gallery, Osaka, Japan. 1992 / The Regional Exhibition «Siberia». Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 1991 / The Regional Exhibition «Decorative Art in Siberia». Krasnoyarsk, Russia. 1990 / «Siberian Fair». Novosibirsk, Russia. 1990 / The Republican Exhibition «Youth of Russia». Moscow, Russia. 1989 / The City and Krasnoyarsk area Exhibitions. Krasnoyarsk, Lesosibirsk, Dixon, Russia. Since 1980 /
https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-QUEEN/84668/9423023/view
WINNER WEBSITES: CATEGORY 2. ACRYLIC — FIGURE
1st Place ALEKSANDR ILICHEV TURKEY https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-QUEEN/84668/9423023/view “Queen” 140x180cm Acrylic on canvas.
2nd Place — Tie TAKUDZWA ALLAN NHANANGA ZIMBABWE https://takudzwaallanart.artweb.com “My Golden Girl” 145x100cm Acrylic on canvas.
2nd Place — Tie TOM GONZALEZ USA https://www.instagram.com/tomgonzalezart/ “A Demon Came Down To Georgia 1” 22x30” Acrylic.
3rd Place — Tie TAKUDZWA ALLAN NHANANGA ZIMBABWE https://takudzwaallanart.artweb.com “Rustic Innocence” 75x50cm Acrylic.
3rd Place — Tie JIMMY WOODS USA www.woodsstudio13/instagram.com 20x20” “Depp Perception” Acrylic on canvas.
4th Place — Tie TATIANA LEIMKUELLER USA/AUSTRIA https://mysculptureanddrawings.tilda.ws/portfolio “Unknown Girl” 31x59cm Acrylic on canvas.
4th Place — Tie RUMJANA GEORGIEVA BULGARIA https://www.instagram.com/romigianna?igsh=MWZ3OTNqY2RleHRyYg== “John Lennon” 80x80cm Acrylic on canvas.
5th Place — Tie CARMEN GÓMEZ JUNYENT SPAIN https:// www.carmenjunyent.com “Magic In Your Look” 80x60cm Acrylic on canvas.
5th Place — Tie TONY OWERE NIGERIA https://www.facebook.com/tony.owere “Iyawo Atata” 36x42” Acrylic on sculpted wood.
6th Place — Tie BEATE BLUME GERMANY www.beateblume.de “Carefree On A Swing” 90x120cm Acrylic on canvas.
6th Place — Tie ANETTE STEEN NORWAY https://www.instagram.com/art_by_astone “Androgyn” 60x60cm Acrylic on canvas.
See the hundreds of winning images and corresponding contact info to all the artists here:
In 2025, ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS had submissions from these 49 countries: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Herzegovina, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, USA, Zimbabwe.
15 international art collectors asked to score art:
Jason Stuckless — Toronto, Ontario
Kene J. Rosa — Los Angeles, California
Michael Gregg Michaud — Los Angeles, California
Alec Wilder — Los Angeles / Las Vegas / New Orleans
Eddie Dyer — Los Angeles / Las Vegas / New Orleans
Thomas Zora — Las Vegas
Ron Lundin — Naples, Florida / Chicago, Illinois / Vail, Colorado
Jay H. Brewer — Orlando, Florida
Alan McMullen — Fannettsburg, Philadelphia
Brian Townley — Waco, Texas
Aimee Unakis — Georgetown, Illinois
Jordan Wallace — Georgetown, Illinois
Carole Hatcher — Rancho Mirage, California
Jan Gold — Roseville, California
Karen Valentine — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mitchell Antesky — Toledo Ohio
