05 五月, 2024

Felicia Fang from NACIS won third place for her artwork

Felicia Fang from NACIS won third place for her artwork  - Art competition
Announcing the Winners of the 2024 Science Without Borders® Challenge

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2024 Science Without Borders® Challenge, an international student art contest that promotes ocean conservation. This year’s theme, “Hidden Wonders of the Deep,” inspired over 1,700 young artists from 82 countries around the world to use their artistic talents to portray the beauty and wonder of life in the deep sea. 

The competition, open to primary and secondary school students 11-19 years old, received an overwhelming response this year. More students entered the Science Without Borders® Challenge than ever before, sending in beautiful artwork illustrating the vast array of life adapted to live in the deepest parts of our ocean. The winning artwork offers a glimpse of life in the deep sea, from the mesmerizing appeal of an anglerfish’s glowing lure to the bounty of a whalefall to the explosion of life surrounding hydrothermal events. Artwork in the competition was judged in two categories based on age. The winning entries in each age group are not only beautiful pieces of artwork, but they encourage viewers to appreciate the spectacular diversity of life deep beneath the waves. 

Felicia Fang, a14-year-old girl  from NACIS, won third place for her artwork, Praying, which illustrates a variety of deep sea creatures feasting on a whalefall.

Felicia Fang from NACIS won third place for her artwork  - Art competition

“I realized that the ocean environment is pretty fragile and every one of us should participate in protecting the environment when using different ways. ”Felicia Fang ,“This piece of artwork depicts a disastrous situation in the deep sea: a whale fall, the most abundant food source in the deep ocean zone, was filled with trash and can no longer give any available nutrients. This is a huge disaster for all of the deep-sea creatures, therefore they decided to collaborate, to share a part of their body with the others. They believe that if they can survive, they will be able to overcome this tragedy. Although the union between these creatures is commendable, what I would like to express further is that we humans are creating a tough environment for them to live in, therefore praising their collaboration is not what they prefer, what they really need is for humans to leave them some space, to stop tearing their original life apart.”

Felicia Fang from NACIS won third place for her artwork  - Art competition

Each of the winners will receive scholarships of up to $500 from the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation to celebrate their achievements and help them pursue their interests in art and ocean conservation.

Through this competition, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation hopes to educate students worldwide about the need to protect our ocean and inspire the next generation of ocean advocates. Amy Heemsoth, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Education at the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, expressed her admiration for the winners and participants, saying, “These young artists have not only demonstrated exceptional talent but also a deep understanding of the importance of conserving the diversity of life in the ocean. Their artwork serves as a powerful reminder of our responsibility to protect and conserve our oceans for future generations.” 

The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation extends its heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and participants of the 2024 Science Without Borders® Challenge, and thanks them for using their creativity and passion to inspire positive change for our oceans.  For more information about the Science Without Borders® Challenge and the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, please visit www.LOF.org.