What Happens When Face Become Art? Submissions So Far
There is something profoundly intimate about looking at a face. Not just observing it but truly registering the life behind it.
Think about the last time you found yourself studying someone’s face without even realizing why—maybe a loved one lost in thought, a stranger caught in a moment of vulnerability, or even your own reflection on a day when you didn’t quite feel like yourself. Faces have a way of capturing our attention before we have the language to explain what we’re experiencing. They speak in a vocabulary older than words.
This exhibition grew from a simple curiosity: What happens when artists turn toward the face, not as an object, but as a living presence?
We didn’t expect the answer to arrive with such tenderness.
From the first submissions, it became clear that artists weren’t just depicting faces; they were revealing the emotional landscapes behind them. These works feel less like portraits and more like encounters. Each piece offers a glimpse into a person’s inner world, their resilience, their secrets, their softness, their story.
The result is not just an art call. It’s a space where humanity gathers.
What Surprised Us Most
We hoped to receive meaningful art. What we received feels like a wave of soul-level honesty. Artists from across the globe have shared portraits that pulse with identity, vulnerability, heritage, confidence, grief, resilience, and imagination. Every submission carries a heartbeat.
Some faces stare boldly, unflinching. Some shimmer with tenderness. Others feel like whispers from someone’s private history. We’ve witnessed work honouring ancestors, exploring shifting identities, examining cultural nuance, and breaking apart traditional ideas of beauty and selfhood. These pieces show us that a face is rarely just a face it is a story that finally found form.
A Glimpse into Submissions
Artists have already begun to share what Faces mean to them:
1. “My son and granddaughter” Artwork Submitted by Julia Lord @julielordart
2. “Map of a mind at night” Artwork Submitted by Ariana Kreusch @arikreusch
3. “Mum with outstretched arm” Artwork Submitted by Zorica Purlija @zorica_purlija
4. “Struggle of finding one’s true self” Artwork Submitted by Ugonma Chibuzo @meettheartist_nma_art
5. “In the moonlit garden” Artwork Submitted by Svetlana Malysheva @8house_art
6. “Don’t Throw Me Shade” Artwork Submitted by Lauren Ratcliffe @laurenratcliffe_art
Each work is a single voice. Together, they are a chorus of stories we feel privileged to witness.
Please note: These are submissions only and do not represent the final selection. All works will be reviewed by the jury after the submission deadline
Who Can Submit
- Women-identifying and non-binary artists
- Ages 18+
- Open worldwide
- All mediums welcome: painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital art, textiles, mixed media, and more
Whether you’re just beginning or well-established, your perspective matters. This exhibition is open to every creative voice that wants to be heard and seems for every artist, from those just starting their creative journey to those already established.
How to Submit
We’ve made the process simple:
- Visit the submission page on the Women in Arts Network website.
- Share your name, email, and a short artist introduction.
- Upload a clear, professional portrait of yourself (no selfies).
- Submit 1–3 artworks with details title, size, medium, and year.
- Choose whether you’d like to join our optional artist interview.
Let your art reveal how you see a face how it hides, shifts, protects, or transforms.
What story hides behind your face?
Is it a symbol of resilience? A vessel of memory? A home for emotion, or a mask you’ve learned to outgrow. Maybe the faces you paint are not about recognition at all but about feeling, about presence, about truth. Every mark, every expression, every quiet gaze it all matters. Because when art meets the human face, something extraordinary happens life looks back.
There’s still time to join this conversation to show how you see, remember, and imagine the human face.
Let your work stand among others that dare to look closer.
