Youth Canvas
Unleash your K-Creativity
The YouthCanvas contest is a celebration of the remarkable strength and depth of the K-Art scene. Hosted in collaboration with creative brand NovaCanvas, the contest invites young Korean creatives to produce impactful works that dare to see things a little differently. It is held twice per year in May and August, offering an essential platform to explore meaningful themes, boost professional credibility, and reach an international audience of art enthusiasts, collectors, and industry elites.
MEET OUR JUDGES
Initial entries will be reviewed and shortlisted by the VNV team. Every entry on the shortlist will be scored by our panel of experts, each of whom is a distinguished member of the creative community. Entries are evaluated using our trademark Five Vibes scoring system, a framework that emphasizes authenticity, creativity, emotional impact, technique, and conceptual depth in equal measure.
MAY ROUND 2026
We invite you to explore how culture shapes the ways you see, feel, create, and connect.
POSSIBLE DIRECTIONS
- Everyday Culture: Capture the small but meaningful details; the language, rituals, or spaces that shape your sense of home.
- Cross-Cultural Encounters: Reflect on moments when different worlds collided and reshaped your perspective.
- Tradition & Transformation: Explore a tradition you cherish, question, or reinvent in daily life.
- Community & Collective Memory: Highlight the memories, stories, or shared experiences that define your community.
- Culture in Motion: Respond to the cultural shifts of today, from tech to new creative or social movements guiding the future.
Wait for the call
The contest opens on MAY 1, 2026.
Fill out the application form
VISUAL ART ENTRIES
- Drawing & Painting
- Ceramic & Sculpture
- Fashion & Costume Design
- Graphic Design & 3D Art
FILM ENTRIES
- Long-form Videos (over 10 min)
- Mid-form Videos (1-10 min)
- Short-form Videos (under 1 min)
Must include an artwork or film description (150 words) that considers:
- What inspired your piece?
- How does it relate to the contest brief?
- Describe your creative practice.
- What message(s) do you hope to deliver to your audience?
WRITTEN ENTRIES
- Screenwriting & Playwriting (3000 words or less)
- Short Stories & Narrative Essays (2500 words or less)
Must include a summary of the text (250 words).
Upload your work
All visual entries must be high resolution for optimal viewing (JPEG or PNG format)
All film entries must be submitted as a Vimeo/YouTube link.
All written entries must be submitted in PDF format.
Pay for your entry
Entry fees are 200,000 Korean Won per entry (including VAT). Multi-person entry fees are 300,000 Korean Won per entry.
Your application will not be processed until the payment is received.
Entry fees payable to:
Bank: Woori Bank
Account Number: 1005-704-776495
Account Holder: NovaCanvas Inc.
Bank Address: 416, Heungan-daero, Dongan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea 14063.
SWIFT Code: HVBKKRSEXXX
It is possible to submit multiple entries across different categories, but each entry must be submitted separately.
Check the results
All winners will be informed by email prior to the official announcement on the website. They will also receive their official certificates at this time.
The Winners Showcase publication will be released annually on November 1. It will include all the winners from the May and August contest rounds.
Classification of winners
- Gold Award (2)
- Silver Award (2)
- Bronze Award (2)
- Runner-up (3)
- Honorable Mentions (3)
Social Media Features
Gold Award winners will be featured on our VNV Instagram account, including a permanent, contest-specific Instagram Highlight.
Rising Stars Membership
Gold award winners will become VNV Rising Stars, receiving a permanent Rising Stars member page and digital lookbook featuring a selection of their artworks. They will also receive guidance from the VNV network as well as a chance to be featured in global VNV events and initiatives in the future.
Winners Showcase
All winners will be featured in the prestigious YouthCanvas Winners Showcase. Distributed digitally to major art and cultural institutions worldwide, a spot in this publication serves as a unique networking opportunity and means of professional development.
Certificates
All winners will receive an official digital certificate in honor of their achievement.
MAY 1
Call For Entries
MAY 31
Contest Closes
JUN 1
Judging Period Begins
JUL 1
Results Announced
1. Eligibility
1.1. The YouthCanvas contest is open to both middle and high school students as well as homeschoolers. Entrants may be based in South Korea or overseas. To qualify, you must meet one of the following requirements at the time of submission.
1.1.1. Tier i: An individual of Korean origin who is under the age of 14.
1.1.2. Tier ii: An individual of Korean origin who is between the ages of 15 and 19. (Entrants over the age of 19 who are currently attending high school also qualify for Tier ii.)
1.2. By entering the contest, you accept the terms and conditions presented here (subject to change). Entrants are encouraged to review the official contest page specified below for any updates.
https://vibesnvistas.com/youthcanvas
1.3. By entering the contest, you permit Vibes and Vistas (VNV) to receive and review all your registration data. You also permit VNV to collect, process, store, and use your registration data for the purposes of running this contest.
2. Submission Guidelines
2.1. You must submit your entries via the call for entries link when it is live on the official contest page. You must also pay the entry fee(s), complete the submission form, and attach all required files before the deadline to be considered for the contest.
2.2. Entrants agree to adhere to the following submission guidelines:
2.2.1. Entrants must be the sole copyright owners and creators of the entries submitted. All entries must not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, contract rights, or other intellectual property rights of any third person or entity.
2.2.2. Entrants must not submit entries that contain any offensive, threatening, defamatory, or pornographic content.
2.2.3. Entrants must not submit any form of AI-generated content.
2.2.4. VNV reserves the right to disqualify entrants who do not adhere to the submission guidelines specified above.
3. Judging
3.1. All entries will be pre-screened by our VNV editors. Entries will then be reviewed by our judging panel who will select the winners. The decision of the judging panel is final.
3.2. The judging panel will evaluate entries based on the VNV Five Vibes scoring system, taking into account authenticity, creativity, emotional impact, narrative/conceptual depth, & technique.
4. Copyright
4.1. By entering the contest, winners grant VNV the non-exclusive right to display, reproduce, and distribute your submitted entries and additionally submitted files in the form of diverse content including the YouthCanvas Winners Showcase, across the VNV platform including the official VNV website, for the purposes of contest promotion.
4.2. All entrants retain full copyright and ownership of their submitted artworks and texts, and credit will be attributed to each entrant whenever VNV exhibits, screens, or publishes their entries.
4.3. The full name of each winner, runner-up, and honorable mention will be published on the VNV website.
5. Awards
5.1. All winners, runners-up, and honorable mentions will receive their awards in the weeks following the announcement of the contest results.
5.2. Winners agree to provide additional information, artworks, and texts in order to be featured in the YouthCanvas Winners Showcase.
5.3. Winners will be notified via the contact method they provided at the time of submission.
6. Payments
6.1. Each submission to the YouthCanvas Contest requires a non-refundable entry fee of 200,000 Korean Won, or 300,000 for multi-person entries (including VAT). Payment of the entry fee does not guarantee selection as a winner, finalist, or recipient of any prize.
6.2. Entrants are permitted to submit multiple entries to the contest. Each entry must be submitted via a separate entry form and accompanied by a separate payment of the applicable entry fee.
6.3. Since this contest is open to minors, all entrants must provide the name and contact details of their legal guardian on the entry form. Payment of the entry fee must be made by the legal guardian on behalf of the entrant, using a valid payment method authorized for such transactions.
6.4. All payments are made to the official contest organizer, NovaCanvas, a registered business entity in South Korea. NovaCanvas is responsible for the collection and processing of all contest-related payments.
6.5. Payments must be made shortly after submission. Entries will not be processed until the payment is received. Please be sure to include the name of the entrant in the reference section of the payment.
6.6. Having paid the entry fee, it is possible to request a PDF invoice by contacting our team at: youthcanvasglobal@gmail.com.
7. Limitation of Liability
7.1. Entrants acknowledge that NovaCanvas, VNV, and all future contest partners are not responsible or liable for:
7.1.1. Technical malfunctions, errors, or other issues that may affect the submission process or contest outcome.
7.1.2. Damages or losses of any kind arising from an individual’s participation in the contest.
8. Governing Law
8.1. This contest is governed by the laws of the Republic of South Korea. Any disputes arising from or in connection with the contest will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in the Republic of South Korea
9. Contact Details
9.1. All correspondence pertaining to this contest must be made via the designated contest email address, youthcanvasglobal@gmail.com.
