YOUTH EXPRESSION

NATURE & PLACE

Entries should be created to visually display and interpret human connection and the natural environment and landscape. We encourage entries to be in any medium including:

Textiles & Fibre Art

Mixed Media & Collage

You can use found and recycled items

Diving deeper into connections

1. Similar themes expressed differently
Two or more artworks might share the same core idea — like love, identity, war, nature, or change — but the way each artist represents that idea is different.

This creates a connection between the artworks through theme, but also highlights diversity in expression.

2. Cultural interactions or interpretations
Artists may borrow styles, materials, techniques, or symbols from other cultures — sometimes in ways that honour, challenge, or reinterpret those elements.

3. Four seasons - representing change (explained below)
The Four Seasons — spring, summer, autumn, and winter — are often used in art to represent change, cycles of life, emotion, and the passage of time. Artists use this theme in many different ways, but the core connection is about transformation and rhythm in nature and human life.

The Four Seasons theme connects artworks through the way artists show the natural cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These seasons often symbolize changes in nature and also reflect different stages of life — for example, spring might represent birth or new beginnings, while winter might symbolize old age or endings. Even though artists use different styles, colours, and materials, their works are connected by this shared idea of seasonal change and its impact on life."

4. Romantic interactions
Romantic connections in art refer to how love, emotion, passion, and intimate relationships are expressed through visual works. These connections may be literal (romantic couples) or symbolic (emotional closeness, desire, heartbreak, etc.). They span many styles, cultures, and time periods — but are all united by the human experience of love.

5. Influence - how we learn and create artistic style
Influence in art refers to how an artist’s work, ideas, techniques, or culture impacts another artist’s style, subject matter, or creative choices.

Artists rarely create in isolation — they learn from others, get inspired by what came before them, and often build on, react to, or reinterpret existing art styles or movements.

Influence connects artworks across time and cultures. Artists learn and develop their unique style by studying or reacting to others’ work. For example, contemporary artists may be influenced by traditional techniques, historical events, or even modern technology. These influences help shape how an artwork looks, feels, and communicates, creating strong connections between past and present styles.”

6. Childhood memories - Art that tells a story of a child hood memory.
“Artists often draw upon childhood memories to create deeply emotional and meaningful works. These memories can reflect innocence, trauma, or nostalgia, and influence how the artist uses symbols, materials, and visual style. In [artist/work], childhood experiences are expressed through [e.g. composition, colour, scale, objects], creating a connection between personal history and universal emotion.”