Judges' comments

In Hean's artwork I see a process of deep self-analysis. The artist turns to the origins, the era of myths, legends, and the birth of religions. The time when humans started to explore the nature of feelings and their surroundings, endowing them with mystical powers. They learned to fight demons waiting in the darkness or to coexist with them. This is what happens today. The "demon of doubt" tries to deprive us of confidence, the "demon of despondency" of strength, and so on. For a modern human, these concepts are abstract, but the artist took the risk of visualizing them. The palette, consisting of natural earthy shades, makes the illustrations even more expressive.

Ekaterina Borodacheva

The color palette and level of detail are well-controlled and consistent across the series. I can tell this is a personal and emotional body of work—Hean’s peaceful, serene approach is clear. That said, I think adding a bit more visual intensity within the calm tone could help it stand out more, and making some of the elements more universal and readable would push the narrative stronger.

Max Liu

The subdued color palette and refined, traditional patterns give the work a sense of historical depth. The red thread weaving through the illustrations hints at connections between the various elements. Even the details in the shadows are rendered with great care.

Moon Q

This group of works has a distinctively oriental style, evident in the selection, arrangement and construction of the compositional elements in the paintings and the combination of low-saturation colours. By presenting the viewer with an intimate inner monologue, it conveys a sense of unease, full of symbolism and philosophical contemplation on mysterious metaphysics.

Nadiia Zhelieznova

This group of works is like the randomly opened pages of a diary, through the artist's framing and re-creation of the daily life of 'me' and the dog, those seemingly ordinary moments are transformed into precious and special images. The warm and pleasant atmosphere created by these fragmented camera shots is the best proof that 'I' live out my true self. The protagonist and the dog in the paintings are all depicted with expressionless features. This kind of symbolic representation of the 'ordinary person' is a subtle artistic device that arouses the emotional resonance with anyone serious about their life.

Yimin Wang

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