Competitions · Humanities and writing · She Is More
She Is More, the global youth art competition.
Ages ten to eighteen, any gender, any flat medium from oil paint to collage to digital art. Every entrant is exhibited. And you get two hundred and fifty characters - not words - to explain the work.
What it is
Art about the value of women - open to everyone.
She Is More is run by the IIX Foundation, a charity registered in Singapore that works on women’s standing and rights. The competition asks young artists to celebrate that through their work.
Any gender may enter
The subject is women. The entrants are not restricted - the organisers state plainly that the competition is open regardless of the artist’s gender. This is easy to miss and worth knowing.
Ten to eighteen, in two groups
Judged separately at 10 to 13 and 14 to 18, so a ten-year-old is not competing against a final-year student.
Everyone is exhibited
Every entrant appears in the She Is More virtual exhibition and receives a participation certificate. Winners get a dedicated section within it.
And the theme changes each year
A recent theme was #SheIsDefiant - defiance, resilience and joyful resistance to social norms and injustice. Check the organiser for the current one before starting: the theme published in circulation is several years old.
At a glance
The essentials.
Entry is online and the work is two-dimensional. Finalists post the original for exhibition, so the physical piece matters as well as the scan.
- Who can enter
- Young artists aged 10 to 18, of any gender, anywhere in the world
- Age groups
- 10 to 13, and 14 to 18
- Organiser
- The IIX Foundation, a charity registered in Singapore
- What you submit
- Two-dimensional visual art - painting, drawing, digital art, photography
- Media accepted
- Pastel, watercolour, oil, pencil, crayon, digital art, collage and more
- File types
- JPG, PNG or PDF
- Written statement
- A description of the inspiration or story behind the work, in English, no longer than 250 characters
- Finalists
- Post the original artwork for exhibition
- Cost
- A donation of at least $10 is encouraged but not required - see below
- Deadline
- Late October
- Exhibition
- Virtual, with every entrant included
The donation
Encouraged, not required, and nobody is turned away.
The organisers handle the entry cost in a way worth describing exactly, because it is unusually generous and easy to misread as a fee.
A $10 donation is suggested
Entrants are encouraged to donate at least $10 alongside their entry, which funds another young artist’s participation.
And covered if you cannot
The organisers state plainly that entrants who cannot afford it should feel no pressure. The cost of processing the entry is covered by another donor, and the work still goes forward for judging.
It is described as a cycle of giving
Those who can, pay for someone who cannot. That is the organisers’ own framing, and it means cost should not decide whether a student enters.
So enter either way
A student who can donate should. A student who cannot should still submit. Neither affects how the work is judged.
The content rule
One rule carries a permanent ban.
This is the strictest content rule of any art competition here, and it sits in tension with the theme in a way worth thinking about before starting.
What is prohibited
Work showing nudity, violence, profanity or inappropriate content, including work promoting racism or injustice, is barred from the competition.
And the consequence is not just this year
The organisers state that such entries are also barred from all future competitions. A single entry can close the door permanently.
Depicting is not the same as promoting
The word in the rule is "promoting". A theme like defiance against injustice necessarily involves depicting injustice - that is what the competition asks for.
But the wording is broad, so ask first
A student planning work that depicts violence or injustice - even critically - should describe the idea to the organiser before making it. That conversation costs nothing and the alternative is a permanent ban.
How it is judged
Four criteria, and the fourth is about the theme.
The judging panel is drawn from working practice rather than academia - creative direction, studio practice, art psychotherapy.
| Criterion | What it means |
|---|---|
| Visual composition and presentation | How the work is arranged and how it reads as a finished piece |
| Technique | Craft in whatever medium was chosen - the competition accepts everything from oil paint to digital, and each is judged on its own terms |
| Creativity and originality | Whether the idea is the artist’s own and whether it goes somewhere unexpected |
| Message and relevance | Whether the work speaks to the year’s theme. This is where the 250-character statement does its work |
The panel is made up of practising professionals - among them a creative director at a global property firm, an art studio chief executive, the founder of an arts organisation, and an art psychotherapist. That mix is worth knowing: they will read the work for what it communicates as much as for how it is made.
The awards
Nobody leaves without something.
The structure is generous, and the cash prize is real though the amount is not published.
Placings in each age group
Runner-up, third place and merit awards within each of the two age groups, with special recognition and a dedicated section in the virtual exhibition.
A cash prize for the strongest in each group
The organisers award cash to the best artist in each age group. The amount is not published, so ask.
A People’s Choice award
One in each age group, decided by public vote rather than by the panel.
And exhibition for everyone
Every entrant is included in the virtual exhibition and receives a participation certificate. For a young artist, being exhibited internationally is the real outcome here.
Preparation
How Hanlin prepares an entry.
An annual theme, a broad medium list and a very short statement make this a good exercise in saying something specific.
Confirming this year’s theme first
The theme changes annually and the version in wide circulation is several years old. Everything else follows from getting this right.
Writing 250 characters, not 250 words
That is about forty words. It has to name the idea and connect it to the theme, with nothing spare. Drafting it before finishing the artwork usually improves both.
Choosing a medium the student actually controls
Everything flat is accepted, and technique is a scored criterion. A confident pencil drawing beats an uncertain oil painting.
And checking the content rule if the subject is difficult
Work about violence or injustice is exactly what a theme like defiance invites, and the content rule is broadly worded with a permanent consequence. Ask before making it.
Talk to an advisor
Hanlin does not coach She Is More. Ask what it does coach.
The services below are real, but not for this competition. An advisor will say plainly whether there is a route here and what is worth entering instead.
Competition entry and planning
Which competitions suit this student, in what order, and by when - then we handle the registration, including the ones that can only be entered through a school or a centre.
Competition coaching
Taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
International curriculum tutoring
IB, AP, A-Level, IGCSE and the US high school curriculum, taught alongside school and timed around the exam calendar.
Competition past papers, free
A large library of past papers, mark schemes and syllabus breakdowns across every competition on this site. No charge and no enrolment.
Scan to add an advisor
Say which competition or course you are asking about. Replies in Chinese or English.
Or call +86 21 6352 6630FAQ
She Is More, briefly answered.
What students and families ask before entering.
Who can enter?
Young artists aged 10 to 18 anywhere in the world, of any gender. The subject is the value of women; the entrants are not restricted. Judging is split at 10 to 13 and 14 to 18.
Who runs it?
The IIX Foundation, a charity registered in Singapore, which works on raising women’s standing and strengthening women’s rights.
What kind of art is accepted?
Any two-dimensional visual art - painting, drawing, digital art or photography - in media including pastel, watercolour, oil, pencil, crayon, digital and collage.
Does it cost anything?
A donation of at least $10 is encouraged, and it funds another young artist’s entry. If you cannot afford it the organisers cover the cost from other donations and your work still goes forward. Nobody is turned away.
What do I submit?
The artwork as a JPG, PNG or PDF, plus a description of the inspiration or story behind it in English, no longer than 250 characters. Finalists post the original for exhibition.
What content is not allowed?
Work showing nudity, violence, profanity or inappropriate content, including work promoting racism or injustice. Such entries are barred from the competition and from all future competitions, so check with the organiser first if the subject is difficult.
How is it judged?
On visual composition and presentation, technique, creativity and originality, and message and relevance to the year’s theme. The panel is made up of practising professionals from creative direction, studio practice and art psychotherapy.
What is the theme?
It changes each year. A recent theme was #SheIsDefiant - defiance, resilience and joyful resistance to social norms and injustice. Confirm the current theme with the organiser, since the one widely reproduced is several years old.
What can you win?
Runner-up, third place and merit awards within each age group, a cash prize for the strongest artist in each group, and a People’s Choice award decided by public vote. Every entrant is exhibited and receives a participation certificate.
When is the deadline?
Late October each year.
Related
Other art competitions.
What students enter alongside She Is More.
She Is More enquiries
Any medium, any gender, and everyone gets exhibited.
The barriers here are unusually low - no fee that cannot be waived, a wide medium list, and a place in the exhibition for every entrant. The work is in matching a strong idea to this year’s theme. Tell us what the student makes and an advisor will help find it.