Céline is a performer, meditation guide and activist. She was born in Brussels, raised by a Polish mother and Congolese father. She employs meditation, movement and voice practices to counter injustices, examine (racial) traumas and transform them.

The jury was intrigued by the way in which Céline brings together her artistic and meditative practices, revealing the interconnectedness between spirituality and art, subsequently moving away from hegemonic conceptions of art. They agreed that Céline’s work addresses contemporary questions related to community-building, bodily expression and relationality in an authentic and innovative manner.

Antwerp-based multidisciplinary artist was born in Nigeria and moved to Belgium in 2012. In his research-based creative practices, he studies intercultural communications, mostly through colours, images and sounds. Looking for the grey areas in dominant narratives, his work reflects on the lived experiences of the African diaspora.

The jury was convinced by Honey’s personal approach to exploring notions of in-betweenness and hybridity, as well as his rich visual language and the spontaneous and playful character of his work.

Based between Antwerp and Seoul, visual artist Seonmin Park explores the tension between the personal and the political, describing her practice as a form of archiving that reflects the (hi)stories of un(der)represented people. She does so through a decolonial and feminist approach. In her series ‘(un)fortune cookies’, for example, Seonmin creates fortune cookies containing discriminatory comments said to her, inviting the audience to reflect on the discomfort of discrimination.

The jury was convinced by Seonmin’s multidisciplinary practice and the way in which her eclectic oeuvre reflects on complex sociocultural issues through a refreshing and authentic approach to storytelling.

Kenny is a self-taught visual artist based in Brussels, working primarily with black markers, acrylic paint and oil pastels who focuses on creating characters and scenes based on his immediate surroundings as well as arising from his imagination. These scenes are the results of the continuous tension between perception and reality.

The jury was convinced by the strong world-building in Kenny’s work and his authentic visual language and saw a lot of potential in his research-based approach and his openness to experiment.

The artist creates environments with personally designed objects, objects of kindred contemporary artists and historical or ancient sacred art objects. Her practice is a work of communal weaving — weaving communities of human and other-than human, visible and invisible beings. The name Rose-Myrtha grew out of the plant families of the Rosacae and Myrthacae, both known for their powerful healing qualities, reflecting the aim of Rose-Myrtha’s artistic practice. Additionally, she founded Kuchukua Hatua VZW, creating a platform to showcase the work of Afro-descendant arts and cultures.

The jury saw a lot of potential in the conceptual foci of Rose-Myrtha’s work to tackle urgent questions pertaining our sociopolitical and ecological realities and was convinced by the layered character of Rose-Myrtha’s artistic practice and her ability to, through her work, uncover the interconnectedness of art, (eco)activism and community-building.

Dae is an object maker and storyteller. The artist graduated in 2020 from the Design Academy Eindhoven with a MA in Contextual Design. During his studies, he experimented with the limitations he experienced in his life regarding his gender and identity. He likes to use objects as alter egos and proxies, allowing him to do what he can't in real life.

Dae dissects the framework of normality cultivated by a modern and rational society and tries to satisfy the deepest wishes and fantasies that people cannot openly express nowadays, through objects and visual communication.

The jury was convinced by Dae’s original exploration of gender identity and sexuality and his stimulating and authentic visual language. They agreed that Dae’s work has a strong conceptual character and were intrigued by the way in which his practice deconstructs and reimagines marginalised narratives through a refreshing and distinctive style.