Submissions So Far! International Virtual Exhibition – Theme: Faces

Think about the last face you truly looked at. Maybe it belonged to someone you love, or a stranger whose expression stayed with you longer than expected. A face doesn’t just show features. It shows life. It tells us where someone has been, what they’ve held inside, what they’ve survived. When we opened submissions for this exhibition, we knew faces would take us somewhere meaningful. What we didn’t anticipate was the honesty and vulnerability artists would share. These works are not about perfection or performance. They are about people: their histories, identities, boundaries, and hopes.

Every submitted piece feels like an introduction. Not to a character… but to a human being.

Faces have the power to hold story and silence at the same time. They can reveal the truth or carefully protect it. They invite us to look closer and sometimes ask us to look away. Through every expression, every scar, every softness, a face reminds us that we are looking at a life.

But we also want to turn that question toward you.

What do faces mean in your world? Are they symbols of resilience? Are they memory keepers? Are they masks you’ve learned to wear or ones you’re learning to take off? Maybe you see faces as home familiar and comforting. Maybe they’re a mystery you’re still trying to understand. Maybe your art shows the parts of a face that can’t be named… but can be felt. There is still time to share what faces mean to you and to let your work be seen by those who are ready to understand it.

Why We Chose Faces

Faces connect us. They are the first place we look when we want to understand someone, how they feel, what they’re trying to say, if they’re safe to approach. A face can welcome or distance. Open or protect. Invite or withstand. We chose “Faces” because it’s universal, yet deeply personal. Everyone has one. Everyone reads them. Everyone carries stories in theirs. And those stories deserve space. They deserve witness. Faces remind us that art is not separate from life. Art is life, living right in front of us, looking us in the eye.

What We Never Expected to See

Faces speak without moving. They carry memory, desire, vulnerability, pride. When we opened this call, we hoped to see powerful interpretations… but the response has already become something far beyond what we imagined. Submissions are arriving from artists across continents, backgrounds, and artistic traditions, each bringing their own truth to the surface.

Every face submitted so far holds a pulse. Some stare back with fierce resolve. Others glow with tenderness. Many reveal silent stories that feel both intimate and universal. Together, they form a breathtaking mosaic of identity and emotion.

We are witnessing portraits that honor ancestry, expressions shaped by lived experience, and abstract forms that explore how identity shifts, masks, hides, and emerges. These artworks remind us that a face is rarely just a face. It is context. It is history. It is the invisible becoming visible.

A Glimpse into Submissions

Artists have already begun to share what Faces mean to them:

1. “Sinéad” Artwork Submitted by Michela Art Name Anguilla Ink @anguillaink

2. “The Rhythm of Life” Artwork Submitted by JOANNA Levesley @joannanouveaustudio

3. “The Sweetest Note” Artwork Submitted by Tafy LaPlanche @lepouf_art

4. “Touch of Light” Artwork Submitted by Janih Ch. Lüthi @janih_luethi

1. “The Girl in a Mirror” Artwork Submitted by Gulsah Karaca @gullsahkaracastudio

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
• 18+ years old
• Open worldwide, artists from every culture and background are welcome
• All mediums accepted: painting, drawing, photography, digital, textile, sculpture, mixed media, and more

This opportunity is for every artist, from those just starting their creative journey to those already established.

How to Apply

We know that creativity flows best when the process feels effortless, that’s why we’ve kept submissions simple and artist friendly.

• Start by visiting the submission form on the Women in Arts Network website.
• Add your name, email, and a short artist bio or statement.
• Upload a clear, professional photo of yourself (no selfies).
• Share 1–3 artworks with full details, title, medium, size, and year.
• Decide if you want to join the optional Artist Interview in addition to the online exhibition.

Let your art reveal how you see, remember, and imagine faces within your world.

If Faces Could Speak! What Would Yours Say?

There is still time to add your own expression to this growing composition. Maybe your work reveals hidden emotion, celebrates your culture, or challenges how we define beauty. Maybe your face is softness, power, mystery, truth or transformation.

Your perspective matters. Your story deserves a gaze of its own.