Mpumelelo Buthelezi
Johannesburg, ZA
Mpumelelo Buthelezi lives and works in Johannesburg. He is a photographer who studied photojournalism and documentary photography at the Market Photo Workshop. He graduated in 2017. Mpumelelo went on to exhibit his photographs at Social Art Award in Germany 2019, Transitions Rotterdam Foto Festival in the Netherlands in 2019, and had a solo exhibition at WeTilt in Italy 2019. He participated in the Kampala Photo Biennale 2020/2021 in Uganda and was the 2nd prize winner for Nikon Yellow competition in 2018.
Mpumelelo has recently been awarded a 2nd Heather B. Mattera (2022) photography scholarship to study in New York. He was awarded the best photographer of the year category under North West Media Awards 2021. Mpumelelo has been on residency program with Sir Prof Zanele Muholi and Muholi Productions in KZN and participated in a virtual residency with Wendy.network Arts Unchained 2021. He was part of the TEXT ME project Media Arts Festival Friesland 2022 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

Iryna Calinicenco ( Cairуna)
1984, Ukraine/Moldova

Free contemporary artist, has been engaged in artistic practice from 2009 in Moldova. In her works, she shows the relationship between the personal and the social in a human being as a balanced opposition. She presents art as something alive, changing under the pressure of digital technologies, working at the intersection of Mixed Media and New Media techniques.
Iryna takes part in physical and virtual exhibitions organized by art galleries in London, Berlin, Salem (Massachusetts), Southampton, etc. She participated in the 10th International Art Festival (Kranj, Slovenia) and is represented by ANIMA MUNDI ACADEMIA Art Gallery (Lithuania). Her work has been published in magazines and won prizes in competitions. Her paintings are presented on international online art gallery platforms, including NFT-arts.
Creating paintings, Iryna delves deeply into the emotional world and explores how feelings and emotions affect human behavior, drawing parallels between the mental and the physical. Until we learn to identify ourselves openly, we will not begin to build a viable future for the planet. Who Is ME? Who are YOU? The way to know is through self-
knowledge.
Iryna uses poetry to transfer her inner energy to the canvas. She writes poems about love and sex. Her paintings and poetry merge into a kind of abstract mix, blending into each other and blurring the line between abstract poetry and poetic abstraction on canvas.
In choosing the material for each series of works, Iryna seeks to give the viewer a glimpse of himself, gently encouraging him to reflect on himself. There are no value judgments about rightness or wrongness, beauty or ugliness, no social prejudices. Just the canvas and the viewer. Tête-à-tête. For accepting oneself as a value. Often with humor and without excessive narcissism.

Binod Dawadi
Kathmandu, Nepal

Binod Dawadi, a polymath from Kathmandu, Nepal, is a beacon of creativity, intellect, and activism. Armed with a master’s degree in English, Dawadi wields the power of words to enact societal change. His journey as a writer, teacher, artist, photographer, model, and singer is a testament to his boundless passion and talent.
Dawadi’s artistic endeavors transcend conventional boundaries. His digital paintings and photography capture the essence of his surroundings, while his literary works provide profound insights into the human condition. His commitment to social progress is palpable in every stroke of his brush and syllable of his pen.
As an advocate for change, Dawadi actively participates in global events and exhibitions. From the „International Art Festival“ in Korea to the „Creating People’s Side Virtual International Exhibition“ in Hungary, his work has graced prestigious platforms worldwide. Each exhibition serves as a testament to his unwavering dedication to enlightenment and transformation.
In addition to his visual artistry, Dawadi’s written works have left an indelible mark on the literary world. His contributions to esteemed publications such as Prodigy Published, Poetry Soup, and ILA Magazine have garnered widespread acclaim. Furthermore, his authored books, including the iconic „The Power of Words“ series and „Serenity’s Ecstasy,“ serve as beacons of inspiration for readers worldwide.
Beyond his artistic pursuits, Dawadi’s involvement in education and activism further solidifies his role as a catalyst for change. As a teacher, he imparts knowledge and wisdom to future generations, nurturing minds to think critically and creatively. His advocacy efforts, exemplified by his participation in events like „Speak Up Be Heard,“ underscore his unwavering commitment to social justice and equality.
In every facet of his life, Binod Dawadi embodies the transformative power of art and words. His journey is a testament to the belief that through creativity, education, and activism, meaningful change can be achieved, one brushstroke, one sentence, one melody at a time.
Websites
https://sydniebeaupre.wixsite.com/binoddawadi
https://sydniebeaupre.wixsite.com/thepowerofwords

Emmanuel Eweje
Nigeria

My name is Emmanuel Eweje, and I offer a unique perspective in the realm of contemporary art, driven by a deep passion for creative diversity and a keen eye for design. Over the years, my journey as an artist has been marked by significant achievements, including winning the Next Rated Star award in the Art category and receiving recognition from esteemed competitions like the National Visual Art Competition and the Leap Africa Art Competition. These accomplishments stand as testaments to my dedication and talent in the field.
My artistic practice encompasses a wide range of mediums, from drawing and painting to printmaking, embroidery, and tie and dye techniques. I approach each piece with meticulous attention to detail and a profound understanding of cultural symbolism, aiming to foster dialogue and embrace diversity through my art.
Beyond creating art, I have utilized my talents to make a positive impact in my community. As an Arts in Medicine Fellow and art teacher, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of art in healing and education. Additionally, my work as a muralist with the House of Bezalel Mural and Graffiti Artist Collective has allowed me to contribute to vibrant urban landscapes and ignite meaningful conversations through bold and dynamic murals.
My artworks have been showcased in various exhibitions and competitions, both locally and internationally, including the Connect residency/exhibition in Chicago and the Spanish Embassy Art Competition. These experiences have reinforced my commitment to pushing boundaries and challenging conventional artistic norms.
With a diverse skill set that encompasses technical abilities, interpersonal skills, and critical thinking, I continue to explore new avenues in my artistic practice. Through my work, I strive to foster connections, provoke thought, and inspire dialogue, inviting viewers to engage with complex themes of identity, memory, and cultural heritage.

Gugulethu Ndlalani
Johannesburg, ZA
Gugulethu is a self taught emerging visual artist from Johannesburg, South Africa, Soweto to be exact, a township which shares a huge historical significance in what he does. He is creative director to a duo collaborative project called Brokenvillages. His work mainly focuses on the documentation of African stories and how their are narratived to the world. I feel most of our stories as Africans are misinterpreted so I try to show a different perspective as to allowing people to draw new conclusions through what they in my visuals.
Broken Villages“ constitutes a collaborative dual initiative with the primary objective of narrative storytelling. The project is orchestrated by two proficient individuals, namely Gugulethu Ndlalani in the capacity of Creative Director and Mpumelelo Buthelezi as Visual Director. Situated within the historically significant enclave of Soweto, their residence also serves as the foundation from which they convey the rich African narrative to a global audience.
The endeavor is structured around three distinctive thematic segments: the Art of Fashion, the Art of Survival, and the Art of Transportation. The project’s essence lies not in prescribing a particular viewpoint but rather in affording viewers the autonomy to extract their own narratives from the visual depictions presented to them.

Kristina Petukhina
Russia/Montenegro
„In my art project, I show the possible metamorphoses of innovation in society, in the human environment — the possibility of turning stress into creativity through art & technologies.“

Lennon & Stefanie Reling-Burns
Stuttgart, Germany

„Everything shifted since I was able to recognize and realize our autistic son’s perception. Paying attention to even the tiniest things. Developing multiple strategies to cope with the mainly neurotypical life. Communicating without words. Dreaming and wandering along. Finding every day new ways of curling through daily life. Recovering from the too-muchness and still be able to enjoy the beauty of a good moment. All this has become a massive impact in my mind, my behaviour, my art and my relativization of one’s own ambitions.“
Stefanie Reling-Burns is a mixed media artist, focussing in her artworks on the interpersonal relationships and social phenomena in the analog and virtual world. She graduated in 2001 at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf with an academy degree, awarded by Fritz Schwegler, Rosemarie Trockel and Paul Good. Since 1990 her works have been shown in national and international exhibitions and festivals, including at TATE LATES, Tate Modern, London / Fringe Arts Bath UK / ADAF Greece, Athens / Port25 Mannheim / Galeria Miejska bwa Bydgoszcz / TheWrong Biennale / 60 sec Festival Copenhagen / Shortfilmfestival Macao / XPO Paris / Mediamatic Biennale Amsterdam / Biennale du Verre Strasbourg / Tape Modern Berlin / ZAC-infozone – Musée d’Art Moderne Paris / Rencontres Internationales Paris-Berlin / VHS-Festival Rotterdam / MAU Tokio / Württembergischer Kunstverein / and more.
She developed this virtual project with funding by the State Capital Stuttgart, Germany.

Felizitas Ritter
Karlsruhe, Germany
Net artist, with focus in her newest work on the depersonalization/derealization disorder, which is a form of dissociative disorder that consists of the persistent or repeated experience of being outside of one’s own body or being separated from one’s own thoughts. Usually with the feeling of observing one’s own life from the outside.
„I have nothing to add to what is missing“
Derealization is hard to describe, let alone visualize.
For this reason I chose to do so indirectly by creating an sort of character,
which considers itself inside the exhibition, making viewers aware of its perspective on this environment.
The experience of this space, the simulated approximation of a physical gallery
existing in a context that is detached from life and in which the viewers actions remain inconsequential,
turned out to be a good illustration of the state of being trapped in a state of unreality.
There was nothing to add to the situation found in this space. I only had to make a connection.

Ina Schneider
Stuttgart, Germany
Ina Schneider studied Art in France and Canada. She now lives and works in Stuttgart, Germany, where she is also actively involved in the association of GEDOK Stuttgart and its residential and studio building. She has been exhibiting her work since 1985. Formative for her artistic development proved to be artist exchanges and residencies in Japan, Finland, Canada, Germany and recently in Lodz/Poland. In her artistic work Ina Schneider is interested in the interrelations of place-movement-time. Her focus is set on the conceptual idea, on development and process as well as on exploring different materials and techniques. Since 2021 she has been working more deeply with the acts of folding and paper. The exhibited work „Listen Closely“ explores the crumpling of a piece of paper while listening to the sounds of it.

Johanna Smiatek
Berlin, Germany

Johanna Smiatek (born in Hanover/Germany) studied Fine Arts at the Braunschweig University of Art. Smiatek is an object and installation artist (interactive art, kinetic objects). She has received invitations to national and international exhibitions. In some of her interactive works, mirrors are made to vibrate, making a sharp image impossible. These and other works have been shown in many exhibitions.
In 2008 she had a solo exhibition at Galerie Kunstpunkt/Berlin (Made just for you). Exhibitions followed: Georg-Kolbe-Museum („Romantic Machines“, 2009), Rohkunstbau XVII. (Schloss Marquardt/Potsdam, 2010, curated by M. Gisbourne), Hamburger Kunsthalle („UNSCHARF. Nach Gerhard Richter“, 2011), Galerie im Taxispalais/Innsbruck („Der Spiegel des Narziss“, 2012), Kunstmuseen Heilbronn („MACHT.WAHN.VISION. „, 2013), museum FLUXUS+ in Potsdam/Berlin („Must-have“, solo exhibition, 2015), Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck (100 years of Dada, 2016), Württembergischer Kunstverein Stuttgart (2017, 2023), Kunstverein Hochrhein (THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY, AND THE BEAUTIFUL; 2020), Museumsquartier Q21, Vienna/Austria (2021 – An Earthly Odyssey, solo exhibition, 2021), Künstlerhaus Wien/Austria (Transformations, 2021), OKO 2021 Arts Festival: Miracle (curators: Anda Rottenberg, G. Pleszynski; Bydgoszcz/Poland), Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven (NordWestKunst, 2023), Torrance Art Museum, Los Angeles/USA (2023).