We are pleased to share that Birds, an international virtual exhibition hosted by Open Call for Artists, is now live.

This exhibition brings together artists from across the world who were drawn to a subject that has quietly lived alongside humanity for centuries. Birds are present in our daily lives in subtle ways. We hear them before we see them. We notice them briefly, then they are gone. They exist close to us, yet never fully within reach. This exhibition begins from that familiarity and gently expands it.

Through painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and digital practices, artists explore birds as more than visual forms. These works speak to movement, transition, distance, and attention. Some pieces feel intimate and observational, while others lean into symbolism or abstraction. Together, they form a thoughtful and unhurried space, one that asks viewers to slow down and really look.

Rather than presenting a single narrative, Birds allows many interpretations to exist side by side. It reflects how birds themselves appear in our lives, briefly, unexpectedly, and often meaningfully.

Why “Birds”?

Birds have long carried meaning in art, literature, and culture. They have symbolized freedom, fragility, migration, vigilance, and transformation. Yet they are also ordinary companions to human life, perched on rooftops, crossing streets, gathering in trees. This dual presence, symbolic and everyday, makes them endlessly compelling.

This exhibition invites artists to consider what birds represent to them personally. For some, birds become metaphors for movement and change. For others, they reflect themes of separation, longing, or return. Some artists focus on the physical beauty of birds, while others use them as stand-ins for emotional states or lived experiences.

The title Birds was chosen for its simplicity and openness. It does not prescribe meaning or direction. Instead, it creates space for artists to bring their own stories, questions, and observations into the work. The result is an exhibition that feels layered and sincere, rooted in shared subject matter but shaped by individual perspectives.

At its core, this exhibition asks viewers to reflect on their own encounters with birds. When do you notice them? What do they stir in you? And what does it mean to look upward, even briefly, in the midst of daily life?

Encountering Birds Through Art

Moving through the exhibition feels like entering a rhythm of stillness and motion. Some artworks ask for close attention, fine detail, careful rendering, and quiet observation. Others suggest birds through gesture, color, or atmosphere, allowing form to dissolve into feeling.

You may encounter birds at rest, wings folded, bodies grounded. Elsewhere, birds appear mid-flight, suspended between departure and arrival. Some works feel expansive and open, while others feel contained and introspective. This range mirrors the many ways birds inhabit space, sometimes boldly visible, sometimes barely noticed.

There is also a strong sense of time throughout the exhibition. Birds appear in moments of pause, early mornings, empty skies, quiet landscapes. These moments invite reflection rather than spectacle. They ask viewers to stay a little longer, to notice mood, light, and silence as much as subject.

In this way, the exhibition becomes less about birds alone and more about attention. It reminds us how much meaning can exist in brief encounters when we allow ourselves to slow down and observe.

Exhibiting Artists

We are honored to present the artists whose works make up Birds. Each artist brings a distinct visual language and approach, shaping a collective exhibition that feels cohesive without being uniform.

Room 1

Room 2 

Across these works, birds appear as companions, symbols, witnesses, and quiet presences. Some artists work with realism, capturing texture and form with precision. Others lean toward abstraction, suggestion, or emotional resonance. Together, these approaches create a rich dialogue around a shared subject.

What connects the works is not style, but sensitivity. Each piece reflects a careful consideration of what birds mean within the artist’s world. Seen together, they remind us how a single theme can open into many directions when approached with honesty and care.

A Shared Language Across Borders

The response to this open call revealed just how universal birds are as points of connection. Artists from different regions, cultures, and environments responded with deeply personal interpretations, shaped by their own landscapes and lived experiences.

Despite these differences, common threads emerge. Themes of movement, freedom, observation, and belonging appear again and again. Birds cross borders without permission, moving freely through spaces that humans often divide. In that sense, they become powerful symbols of shared experience and quiet connection.

This exhibition reflects that universality. As you move through the works, you may recognize emotions or moments that feel familiar, even when the visual language differs. The exhibition becomes a reminder that art allows us to meet each other in shared attention, even when our contexts are far apart.

As John James Audubon once observed, “The moment a bird sings, everything around it listens.” Birds invites us to listen more closely, not only to the creatures depicted, but to the stillness, movement, and reflection they inspire.

This exhibition offers a pause. A chance to look upward, slow down, and notice what often passes unnoticed. It is an invitation to reconnect with observation, presence, and the quiet beauty that exists alongside us every day.