These artworks are sweeter than all the cakes we’ve ever had.
Recently, we invited artists to join a special challenge and celebrate Displate’s 9th birthday with a creative bang. The rules were simple: submit at least one new artwork to your Displate shop and enter a chance to win a sweet cash prize.
The time has come for our special committee to pick the winning designs. This was a challenge in itself – you sent us so many amazing artworks that choosing the 10 best ones seemed impossible! But finally, we did it.
Here are the 10 winners of this year’s Displate Birthday Challenge:
‘In the Night 06’ by Francisco Fonseca
Francisco Fonseca lets you open a window somewhere in the middle of a quiet Portuguese town. No need to catch a plane! You can almost hear the town’s soothing hum as the soft colors, regular composition, and Foncesca’s gentle illustrative style draw you further and further into this peaceful scene.
Recently, Francisco told us how the place he lives in continues to inspire his work:
My village and my city are for sure the motor that makes me create! I love Portugal, from north to south we can find such a variety of different landscapes, villages and people. Portugal is a country full of surprises and inspiring places, and that’s for sure what helps me the most to draw.
‘Summerland Homecoming 04’ by Stijn Windig
If you’ve ever wondered what an Alphonse Mucha-designed house would look like, Stijn Windig seems to have a good idea. This ethereal artwork was created by blending together some of Windig’s different pieces using an AI-based tool. We love the earthy greens and meandering contours that help bring these organic forms to life.
Here’s what Stijn Windig has to say about this one:
For this series, and this piece in particular, I was inspired by regular walks through the woods near my house.I always feel that nature is awake and conscious in its way, and the idea of spirits of trees, hills, ponds, streams, the wind, resonates with me. I was also trying to imagine my dream house 😉
‘Samurai’ by Valentina Remenar
We’ve seen a lot of samurai art over the years, but nothing like this. Valentia Remenar takes a subtle approach to capturing the samurai’s poise and dignity and elevates it with a neon marble texture. The contrasting colors paired with a detailed design make this piece monumentally futuristic. It’s so stoic, yet so sick.
How did Valentia Remenar achieve this?
The base inspiration and concept for this piece was samurai, but I also wanted to create a bit of a surreal modern touch mixed with traditional samurai armor. For the pattern on the portrait itself I was actually inspired by paper marbling, so I’ve included it for an extra surreal atmosphere.
‘Sunday Breakfast 03’ by Eva Halfers
The way Eva Halfers uses different shades of blue in her soothing compositions gives us strong Vermeer vibes. But more importantly, it makes us crave a tasty breakfast served on a sunbathed terrace. It’s amazing how these minimalistic shapes are so effective in creating such an evocative feeling.
‘Majestic’ by Icosphere
You have to give it to Icosphere, the title is on point. This 3d artwork pairs vivid purples with gloomy blues and throws in some deep perspective for a truly imposing and hypnotizing effect. Look at it long enough, and your eyes will start to glow, too.
In his recent talk with Displate, Iconosphere explained what draws him into art:
My biggest inspiration to make art is nature and technology. I really love blending technology with nature and making it into fantasy mystic worlds.
‘Magical Friendship’ by Annas Welt
This one left us mermaized. It’s not only the dreamy vibes, but also the way Annas Welt plays with perspective and uses toned down colors to make the scene more expressive. Now excuse us while we dive right back into it.
Here’s Annas Welt to tell you more:
The world of fantasy and its magical creatures have always been my main inspiration. With this image I wanted to bring some wonder and magic into someone’s everyday life.
‘Together Through Storms’ by Taudalpoi
What can we say, we’re hopeless romantics. And the way Taudalpoi framed this scene and retro-ed up the colors now makes us feel this weird nostalgia for futuristic space dates, too. Nothing like a walk under Saturn’s light to put a ring on it!
The story behind this piece makes it even more heartwarming:
In many ways, the artwork is a homage to my partner. It was originally made one year into Covid lockdowns when I was going through a particularly difficult time. The feeling of going through that time with them made it much easier, or bearable, to come out on the other side.
‘Mount Fuji and Store’ by Yagedan
Stimulating and calming at the same time, Yagedan’s artwork combines a still scene with a lively neon color palette. Japanese aesthetics and 80s immerse us even further – good thing we have our lo-fi beats playlist ready from dusk till dawn!
This is how Yagedan found his dreamy store:
What inspires me about this work of art is that almost fleeting moment in which night and day are sharing their transition, and in combination with the city lights they create a fantastic environment. And in turn, the Japanese city with its beautiful aesthetics makes us want to transport ourselves to that world full of color as if we were the protagonists of a movie scene at dusk.
‘Companion’ by Pollyanna Dee
The technique behind this mixed media abstract design is really impressive. But what gripped us the most about ‘Companion’ is how well it evokes the feelings of empowerment, compassion, and togetherness. We need art like this, especially today.
Pollyanna Dee seems to agree:
The works are inspired by bringing hope and strength during these uncertain times. I think it is really relevant and important to see that even in the chaos, limbo and struggle that we may experience in this world, there’s still a certain strength and beauty that we all hold.
‘Temple’ by Carles Dalmau
This artwork throws you right in the middle of a story, and it’s up to you to decide how it started and what will happen next. Luckily, Carles Dalmau makes it easy. The colors, the details, and the impeccable character design are all here to stimulate your imagination. Just try not to take too much time – that giant octopus looks really hungry.
What exactly brought Carles Dalmau to this mysterious temple?
As I normally do with my drawings, I try to make all of them share the same world. This way it’s more fun to draw stuff and at the same time I flesh out the world bit by bit! I don’t think a lot when I work on my drawings but in this case I wanted to do something *kinda* inspired by Indiana Jones. I liked the idea of doing the interior of an abandoned temple with some jeroglifics and monsters inside!
This party never stops
Our community’s creative input is the sweetest birthday gift we could ever imagine. And the best part is, it keeps on giving.
Congratulations to the winners and huge thanks to all the super talented people who joined our artistic celebration. Stay tuned for more challenges and let your creativity never stop – just like our birthday party!
