World’s Best Figure Expressionists / 2023 AMERICAN ART AWARDS: GRANTFORD, RHODES, MIDDLETON, BARRETT, GEEAWAN, LEE, HONG, KIM, HUTCHISON, WELMAN, LYNN & DURGAM
Artists from 72 countries competed in the 2023 AMERICAN ART AWARDS. Twenty of the most revered galleries in the USA were sent around 2,000 online images to score in drawing, painting, sculpture, digital and photography. The 300+ winning works, 1st to 6th Place (and ties) in all 50 categories, can be seen in this series of articles.
USA’s top galleries decided winners in every medium: oil, acrylic, watercolor, charcoal, pastel, realism, impressionism, naïve, abstract, expressionism, human figure, animal, landscape, fantasy, surrealism, pop, portrait, self-portrait, political, erotic, cubism, floral, humor, spiritual, etc..
Art collectors can see all the winning images and corresponding contact info to the best contemporary artists in the world here: https://americanartawards.com/2023-winning-artists-american-art-awards/
Winners in this category are from AUSTRALIA, UK, USA, TRINIDAD, TOBAGO, SOUTH KOREA & NETHERLANDS.
1ST PLACE WINNER BIO: Jaq Grantford is an ARC Associate Living Artist (Arc Renewal Centre) based in Australia and specializes in fine art and portraiture.
Her work is held in the MEAM Museum (European Museum of Modern art), the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria and many other collections.
Since she was a child, Jaq has been passionate about portraying the human form, and that love has persisted throughout her life. To capture the essence of a person is one of her greatest joys. She loves to tell the stories through visual imagery: the influences, the environment, the cultural background, the joys and heartbreaks, and so much more.
The details and tiny flaws are the most exciting parts of any subject. It’s what makes us different but also united in our imperfection. Jaq tries to paint without judgement the true essence of what is around her and see the beauty inherent in people and place.
(She also loves cats.) https://www.jaqgrantford.com
SEE ARTISTS SITES / ARTIST CONTACTS:
1st Place JAQ GRANTFORD AUSTRALIA https://www.jaqgrantford.com “The Summerland” 180x120cm Oil on canvas.
2nd Place — Tie GRAHAM EDWARD RHODES UK https://about.me/surreal_rhodes “Fantasy Mind” 32x22" Mixed media ink pen on paper/digital manipulation.
2nd Place — Tie CASEY MIDDLETON USA http://www.caseymiddleton.weebly.com “A Dove Story” 30x30” Oil on canvas.
3rd Place — Tie ZIVA BARRETT USA www.zivabarrett.com “Aquarius” 14x14" Mixed media on canvas.
3rd Place — Tie HAYDEN GEEAWAN TRINIDAD & TOBAGO https://www.facebook.com/hayden.geeawan “Daddy’s Home” 30x15" Acrylic on canvas.
3rd Place — Tie STEFANIE LEE USA soonshimyi@gmail.com “The Illusion Of Intelligence” 17x11” Pen and watercolor.
4th Place — Tie CELINE HONG USA artistbonkoo@gmail.com “Forgotten Promise” 24x20” Oil on canvas.
4th Place — Tie DONGHA KIM SOUTH KOREA kanojo2005@gmail.com “The Mask For Society” 60x78cm Acrylic and charcoal on paper.
5th Place — Tie CANDACE HUTCHISON USA https://www.candi-art.com “A Necessity” 11x14" Acrylic on wood.
5th Place — Tie YVONNE WELMAN NETHERLANDS https://www.yvonne-welman.com “Communication Language Of Love Changes” 70x100cm Mixed media on canvas.
6th Place — Tie LINZI LYNN USA/UK www.linzilynn.com “The Embrace” 48x60" Acrylic on canvas.
6th Place — Tie SACHIN DURGAM USA durgam@gmail.com “Fluorescent Reverie” 24x18" Acrylic on board.
In 2023, AMERICAN ART AWARDS had submissions from these 72 countries: Afghanistan, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Switzerland, Tobago, Trinidad, Turkey, UK, Ukraine, USA, Viet Nam, Wales, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
USA’s 20 Best Galleries & Museums who were asked to score online art in 2023 were:
American Art Awards 20 Best Galleries & Museums for 2023, in alphabetical order:
BEST IN ARIZONA: Exposures International Gallery Of Fine Art
BEST IN CALIFORNIA: Sparks Gallery
BEST IN COLORADO: Mirada Fine Art
BEST IN FLORIDA: MAC Art Galleries
BEST IN GEORGIA: Black Art In America™ (BAIA)
BEST IN INDIANA: Gallery Forty-Two
BEST IN KANSAS: CityArts
BEST IN KENTUCKY: KMAC Contemporary Art Museum
BEST IN LOUISIANA: Jonathan Ferrara Gallery
BEST IN MAINE: Clarke Gallery
BEST IN MONTANA: Cawdrey Gallery
BEST IN NEBRASKA: Kiechel Fine Art
BEST IN NEVADA: Elena Bulatova Fine Art
BEST IN NEW MEXICO: Thornwood Gallery
BEST IN NEW YORK: Gallery 23 NY
BEST IN SOUTH CAROLINA: Mary Martin Galleries Of Fine Art
BEST IN TEXAS: Ao5 Gallery
BEST IN SOUTH DAKOTA: South Dakota Art Museum
BEST IN VERMONT: Helmholz Fine Art
BEST IN WYOMING: Gallery Wild
American Art Awards https://www.americanartawards.com/ annually awards 20 museums and/or galleries, who agree to score art and award nearly 300+ deserving contemporary artists from 60+ countries: painters, photographers, sculptors and digital artists.
