BE OPEN Art announces the Artist of the Year 2023

LONDON, Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BE OPEN Art, an online gallery designed by Elena Baturina's BE OPEN think tank, is happy to announce the Artist of the Year 2023, selected by the majority of votes among the monthly ratings.

BE OPEN congratulates the talented Jean D'amour Imanishimwe, a Rwandan visual artist. A graduate of the Nyundo School of Arts. Since 2017, he is the co-founder of HUZA ARTS RWANDA gallery whose objective is to give a platform to young local artists to exhibit and sell their artworks.

Aiming to showcase young talents, every month for the last three years, BE OPEN Art invited art enthusiasts to choose the best artist among those 20 exhibited in the online gallery. The artist whose works gain the majority of votes throughout the year become the Artist of the Year and receive €1000.

To be featured in the gallery, BE OPEN Art selects artists at an early stage of their career who emphasize social consciousness, philosophical meaning and the aesthetical solutions for the wrongs of the contemporary world, such as inequality, lack of diversity, environmental issues, and consumerism. In a way, the project sees its mission in looking for the new influencers in the art scene, and invites everyone to contribute to this process.

Founder of BE OPEN Elena Baturina said: "We congratulate the winner, and admire his art as well as commitment to help other young artists in Rwanda. It is a great pleasure to support such initiatives developed by young artists and for young artists, and Jean will receive a grant from BE OPEN.

"BE OPEN Art is proud to showcase the remarkable young talent we meet all over the world, and facilitate the artists in getting visibility and opportunity to have their say in the art and therefore affect lives of people who appreciate it. We applause all the featured artists and thank everyone who voted throughout the year."

BE OPEN Art is an online art gallery created by BE OPEN foundation with an ambition to provide emerging artists with an opportunity to showcase their work to the world. In 2023, a regional competition was set up for those artists who best represent the artistic identity of their regions, which will continue into 2024.

BE OPEN is a global initiative to foster creativity and innovation, founded and supported by the international philanthropist and businessperson Elena Baturina.

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