Photography & Digital Art Category Winner of the Visual Art Open 2025, Jane Oliveira creates dreamlike photographic worlds that explore memory, vulnerability and the subconscious. In this interview, she discusses the inspiration behind her winning work *Enclosed*, her use of symbolism and Ball-Jointed Dolls, the importance of trusting intuition, and why meaningful connection matters more than perfection in artistic practice.

Francesca Busca transforms discarded materials into ‘trashure’, pioneering waste mosaic to bridge art, science, and activism. Her work invites audiences to see beauty and potential in what we so often throw away.

Artist and Visual Art Open 2025 Painting, Mixed Media & Printmaking category winner, Chiedu Okonta has captured attention with his evocative work We no go wear Hoodie for house , a meditation on the Niger Delta’s environmental and social crises. Chiedu has developed a practice that blends meticulous craft with deeply felt socio-political commentary, exploring the intersections of community, resilience, and ecological concern. From Engineering to Art: Following the Call of Cr

Li Hao, overall winner of the Visual Art Open 2025 Prize, is an artist and architect whose sculptural practice explores the relationship between structure, emotion and social responsibility. Known for large-scale works such as Pop Star, he combines architectural geometry with luminous materials to create immersive sculptures that balance fragility and strength. Through his socially engaged initiative Program SPARK, Li Hao expands his practice beyond the gallery, using art as

The Visual Art Open 2025 Finalist Exhibition took place at The Minster Building in October, uniting artists, the VAO25 Judges, collectors, and members of the wider creative community in a celebration of artistic achievement. The event highlighted emerging and established talent across all mediums, providing a prestigious platform to showcase the creativity, innovation, and vision of this year’s entrants.