World’s Best Figure Impressionists: TANG, FILICHKIN, BOSHKAYKIN, KOCHKIN, PURUSHOTHAMAN, BRENNAN, PEETERS, RUPPENTAL & FRIDEL / 2026 Art Collectors Choice Awards
Artists from 47 countries competed in the 2026 ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS. 16 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 21. IMPRESSIONISM — HUMAN represent USA, CANADA, LITHUANIA, INDIA, GERMANY, NETHERLANDS, POLAND & ISRAEL.
BIO of 1st Place winner Liming Tang
Liming’s work blends design and passion, shaped by her background in both theatre design and painting art. Liming holds MFAs in Theatre Design and Studio Painting from Northern Illinois University and the New York Art Academy. She has taught at multiple universities and designed for many theatre productions throughout the United States.
Painting has remained her enduring passion. Liming is deeply drawn to figure and landscape painting, working with both brush and palette knife to create expressive, dynamic compositions. Her work emphasizes the interplay of shadow and light, the richness of color, and the vitality of form.
She finds joy in the process of painting — capturing fleeting sensations, exploring visual harmony, and capturing inspiration from nature and everyday life. Through her work, Liming seeks not only to depict the world around her but to be continually elevated by it.
WINNER WEBSITES/CONTACTS:
CATEGORY 21. IMPRESSIONISM — HUMAN
1st Place LIMING TANG USA doclmta@gmail.com “Sunny Beach” 60x48" Oil on canvas.
2nd Place — Tie TANYA FILICHKIN USA https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-tanya-filichkin.html “Dream On Singer Steven Tyler — Rock Music Legends” 20x20” Acrylic on canvas.
2nd Place — Tie GENE BOSHKAYKIN CANADA boshgene@yahoo.ca “Looking Chief” 24x36” Color pencil, acrylic, paper.
3rd Place — Tie ALEX KOCHKIN LITHUANIA https://www.instagram.com/alexof.tattoo “Limited Porsche” 100x100cm Spray paint, acrylic.
3rd Place — Tie CHAITALI. V.PURUSHOTHAMAN INDIA https://linktr.ee/11TimeWorldAwardee.vastu.astro “The Phoenix — Universal Energies Protect Us All — We are all One Powerful Divine Force Of Higher Consciousness” 50x50” Acrylic, canvas with 3d double-hand painted frame. .
4th Place — Tie WILLIAM FRANCIS BRENNAN GERMANY www.william-francis-brennan.com “Water´s Edge” 56x71cm Oil on canvas.
4th Place — Tie JAN PEETERS NETHERLANDS https://www.janpeeters-horsepaintings.nl “Last Farewell” 40x50cm Watercolor.
5th Place — Tie LIMING TANG USA doclmta@gmail.com “In The Evening” 42x28" Oil on canvas.
5th Place — Tie TOMASZ RUPPENTAL POLAND tomaszruppental@wp.pl “Mushroom Picking” 80x80cm Oil on canvas.
6th Place — Tie ALEX KOCHKIN LITHUANIA https://www.instagram.com/alexof.tattoo “Immortals” 100x100cm Acrylic, ink.
6th Place — Tie BELLA FRIDEL ISRAEL bellafridel@gmail.com “Joy” 35x35cm Oil on linen.
See hundreds of winning images and corresponding contact info to all the artists here:
In 2026, ART COLLECTORS CHOICE AWARDS had submissions from these 47 countries: Angola, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Cuba, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Panama, Poland, Republic Of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Trinidad, Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, UK, Ukraine, USA, Zimbabwe.
16 international art collectors asked to score art:
Jason Stuckless — Toronto, Ontario
Joel Brown — Jackson, Mississippi
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
Carole Hatcher — Rancho Mirage, California
Jan Gold — Roseville, California
Karen Valentine — Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mitchell Antesky — Toledo Ohio
