Overall review of the competition
This is the announcement of the award-winning works of the "JIA Illustration Award 2024", a global illustration competition.
Examination method
The judges are consisted of 5 artists, Ms.Van Li (USA), Mr.Haimeng Cao (USA), Ms. JRita Yuwei Li (USA), Mr. Lucas León (Chile), and Ms. Pingnan Lu (USA).
Points are given to each judge, 10 points for the 1 best applicant, 8 points for the 2nd best applicants, 6 points for the 5 applicants, 4 points for the 10applicants, 2 points for 15 applicants,and 1 point for 20 applicants.
The points put in by the five judges were totaled, and the winners of each award were decided in order of the artists with the most points.
Overall review
Van Li
As a judge for the 2024 JIA Illustration Awards, I am honored to evaluate the exceptional talents of illustrators from around the world. These works have truly reached a world-class level, showcasing extraordinary creativity, skill, and cultural diversity. On this journey of reviewing the works, I was deeply amazed. Each piece reflects different souls, backgrounds, and experiences, offering unique perspectives on beauty and expressing complex, profound, or wonderful emotions.
It was both an honor and a challenge to review such high-quality works. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the winners for their outstanding achievements. I also salute all the participants, thanking them for their dedication and artistic talent, which made the judging process incredibly rewarding.
We are standing at the center of a world reshaped by technology, witnessing changes every day. Yet, art gives us confidence in our shared humanity. The JIA Illustration Award is a great platform for showcasing talents. I am looking forward to seeing what artists bring to share with the world next year!
Haimeng Cao
The competition showcased an impressive array of talent, highlighting the creativity and technical skills of the participants. The entries spanned a diverse range of styles and themes, each bringing a unique perspective. From detailed line-art to bold use of colors, the artwork displayed a deep understanding of visual storytelling.
The recurring themes of nature, human relationships, and fantastical worlds were explored with great imagination and skill. Many pieces exhibited a strong sense of style consistency, whether in character design, environmental settings, or the interplay of light and shadow.
Particularly notable were the works that combined traditional artistic techniques with modern elements, resulting in pieces that felt both historical and contemporary. The portrayal of emotions and moods, whether through serene landscapes or vibrant cityscapes, resonated strongly with the audience.
Overall, our competition was a testament to the power of illustration in storytelling and expression. Our award provided a platform for professional artists all over the world to showcase their skills and creativity. The diversity and quality of the submissions explore and push the boundaries of illustration and all types of visual art.
My sincere congratulations go to all the participants of the 2024 Japan Illustrators' Association Award!
Rita Yuwei Li (Concept artist & Illustrator)
It is a huge honor to serve as a judge for the JIA Illustration Award. This year, it was a unique experience for me to look at so many good works from talented artists worldwide. Selecting the best entries was a challenging task, as each illustration brought a unique style, narrative, and depth of thought. To me, this process goes beyond mere judgment; it is an inspiring journey. Illustrations are more than just visually appealing images—they tell stories, highlight social issues, ask thoughtful questions, and convey deep emotions. And the JIA Illustration Award is not only a competition. It is a platform for artists to connect, inspire one another, and collectively celebrate art and passion. I am truly grateful for this opportunity. Congratulations to all participants of the JIA Illustration Award 2024! Thank you for sharing your artistic passion, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
Lucas León (Illustrator and NFT Artist)
Im deeply grateful for this experience. I loved and enjoyed a lot this artistic biodiversity, it is inspiring to see so many outstanding unique styles, and the quality that each artist reaches in their deference.
I think that the fundamental thing is not to compare between artists, it is absurd to think that one artist is better than another, because each one is unique in their expression. What can be analyzed is how advanced an artist is in their own maturation.
It is about seeing how much commitment the artists has with themselves and with their art, if they neglected their concept, if they neglected details, shapes, perspectives, colors or compositions, or on the contrary, they were deeply involved in each decision, putting all the capacity of their being into it, looking for intelligent solutions, and seeking their excellence, regardless of how simple or complex their art may seem.
I analized when an artist seeks to please, when they hide or hesitate, and I also analized when they express what they need to express beyond other people's judgment, with power, exposing themselves, make themselves uncomfortable if necessary, and be vulnerable to tell their truth.
That is a critical eye to perceive authenticity.
Therefore, rather than judging from a vision of competition between artists, I was interested in judging from a more anarchist and spiritual vision, and perceiving how close the artist is to him/her/Xself, and if he/she/x achieved great authenticity. How much self-government he/she/x has of his art, how congruent it is and how much integrity his/her/x aesthetic power has, to fulfill his/her/x own purpose.
From there, I saw spectacular approaches to oneself in these artists: sophisticated, elegant, terrifying, philosophical, spiritual, psychological, tender, simple, abundant, minimalist, humorous, dark, magical, nostalgic, fantastic, feminist, playful and more aesthetic commitments.
A great jungle of advanced personal paths, which was a pleasure to value, both for its beauty, and for the honor of serving to evaluate them as a judge. It is a privilege to have worked for you, so I deeply thank JIA and Takahiro Kanie for all their great organization and production, for having me in this contest, first as an awarded illustrator, and for this occasion, to take this role as a judge, I appreciate you very much. It is my first time as a judge, and I am very happy with the experience, a new channel has opened in my career that I want to continue expanding and improving, both in the precision of my observations, as well as in the time it takes me to do so, so that I can also give, like you, more and more, the best of myself.
I hope that my comments can be a contribution to the empowerment of the art of these great artists, and enjoy the beautiful exhibitions that are coming!
Pingnan Lu (Illustrator and Comic artist)
I am honored to be a judge for the 2024 JIA Illustration Award. It has been a unique experience where I have encountered wonderful works from illustrators around the world. These artists come from diverse backgrounds, showcasing various art styles and themes, yet they all share a profound passion for art and creation. Congratulations to all the illustrators who have received awards!
What kind of person are you? What kind of person do you want to become? I believe that while artists express themselves, art also guides one to discover specific answers. Illustrations serve as a reflection of the artist's inner self and we can discern the artists' essence within their artworks. I am deeply thankful to the JIA Illustration Award for offering illustrators the opportunity to express themselves and broaden their influence, while also granting me the chance to know more talented artists and learn more through these remarkable illustrations. I hope everyone enjoys the drawing process and fearlessly shows themselves. Monotonous thinking dulls the world; what the world truly requires are diverse voices.
Takahiro Kanie (Chairman of Japan Illustrators' Association)
We received a lot of entries from all over the world, with 294 applicants and 773 works.
Sadly, there is a lot of division happening in the world right now.
It is a fact that artists caught up in wars cannot participate in this competition.
This is because they cannot send money to Japan.
I sincerely hope that these conflicts will be resolved as soon as possible, and that the day will come when artists from all over the world can freely interact with each other.
Regarding the competition, the first impression is very important.
The judges look at a lot of works at once, so if the first impression is weak, it won't stay in their mind. It's whether their heart moves the moment they see it.
Then, what kind of work moves their heart?
It requires that you have your own world view and that you have the technique to express it well.
When choosing, if an artist has only 1 item and the other has 5 items, there is a high probability that the 5 items will be selected. I feel an overwhelming amount of heat from a large number of works.
However, there is a condition that all works must have the same style and level. If the style of each work is different or there is a difference in level, it may work negatively.
I took some statistics.
111 people submitted 1 piece, 1 winner, 9%
40 people submitted 2 pieces, 6 winners, 15%
54 people submitted 3 pieces, 14 winners, 26%
25 people submitted 4 pieces, 9 winners, 36%
64 people submitted 5 pieces, 23 winners, 36%
I feel that the winners of this competition are definitely the people who should become first-class illustrators or first-class artists.
Our mission is to let people all over the world know about such talented artists.
The Judges' bio
Van Li（illustrator）
Ziwan Li is a distinguished concept designer whose remarkable achievements have been recognized through numerous prestigious awards and publications. She has received the 2023 JIA Illustration Award, the A' Design Award in 2024, and the GDUSA Digital Design Award in 2024, among others.
Ms. Li has extensive experience in both the animation and video game industries. Her impressive portfolio includes contributions to high-profile projects such as Apex Legends, PUBG, and the Marvel animated series. These experiences highlight her versatility and exceptional talent in various aspects of concept design.
Her array of accolades and professional achievements underscores her significant impact on the concept design industry.
Artstation : https://www.artstation.com/vanli
Haimeng Cao (illustrator)
Haimeng Cao is a senior concept artist in the entertainment industry, focusing on visual development and art direction for both games and films. His clients include Framestore, Blizzard Entertainment, Gearbox Software, 1047 Games, and NetEase Games. Haimeng is the Grand Winner of the 2019 Japan Illustrators' Association Award and the winner of the 2024 A'Design Award and Competition.
Artstation : https://www.artstation.com/haimengcao
Rita Yuwei Li (Concept artist & Illustrator)
Yuwei (Rita) Li is an award-winning concept artist and illustrator. As a concept artist, Rita has contributed to some of the biggest game IPs such as Avowed and The Wandering Earth mobile game. She has also created concept art and illustrations for mobile games and books. She has a passion for art and design and aims to bring ideas to life through visual design. Inspired by ancient cultures, mythologies, architecture, nature, and science fiction, Rita integrates these influences with her imagination into her art. Rita is a judge for the Rookie Awards and JIA Illustration Award. Her projects have gained international recognition, including the A' Design Award, 3X3 International Illustration Show, Vega Digital Award, London International Creative Competition, and the Communication Arts Competition.
Website : https://www.ritaliart.com
Artstation : https://www.artstation.com/ritaliart
Lucas León (illustrator)
Lucas is a Professional Illustrator and NFT Artist from Chile, member of Art Innovation Gallery. He works as a Fine Art Illustrator making personal artworks for galleries, and commissioned works for clients like The New York Times and Displate. His surrealism is drawn and painted digitally on ProCreate. His inspirations come from the metaphorical death and rebirth periods of the self, which allows him to use art as a medium to discover and share affirmations of life related to health and freedom. He is an Award-Winning Artist with recognitions like First place in "Into the Dark" (2024) by Blue Space Gallery, First place winner in “Brightness Illustration Awards 2020” (UK), Gold winner in "Global Illustration Awards 2020" (China) and Shortlisted for "World Illustration Awards 2020" (UK).
Website: https://www.lucasleon.art
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lucasleonart
X: https://www.x.com/lucasleon_art
Pingnan Lu (Illustrator and Comic artist)
Hello! I'm an illustrator and comic artist originally born in Tianjin, China, and now based in New York City. I received the JIA Illustration Award Sliver Award in 2023 and was also recognized by Communication Arts (US), the Society of Illustrators (US), 3x3 Magazine (US), the World Illustration Awards (UK), China Illustration Biennial, and the iJungle Illustration Awards (EU), etc.
I love creating fantastical worlds and design-sense pieces using shapes. My thoughts are unconventional, whimsical, and hard to control, with drawing being a crucial outlet for expressing my ideas. Uniformity makes me feel bored, while oddities hold significance for me. Fairy tales are my love, but only dark ones without the typical happy ending. In my free time, I spend time studying new printing techniques, designing my creative products, or manually binding my picture books and comics.
Website: https://pingnan-lu.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pingnanlu/
