Current Exhibition

Our sixth Art competition “Blue” started in August 2025 and concluded on September 25, 2025. Art Room Gallery received entries from many countries around the world: Canada, Switzerland, USA, Spain, Ireland, UK, Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and Taiwan. The Blue theme in this competition included a diversity in types, styles and mediums (oil, acrylic, charcoal, collage, pastel, watercolor, fabric, photohraphy, digital art). The following evaluation criteria has been used for judging the artwork: creativity, interpretation of the theme, originality and quality of art, overall design, demonstration of artistic ability, and usage of medium. Jury decided to select 53 artworks for inclusion in the exhibition. Aside from First, Second, and Third place Jury also presented Merit awards and Honorable Mention awards.

Thank you, and enjoy the exhibition!

First place

Statement:

Susanne Middelberg is a German photographer known for her powerful and emotionally rich portraits, which explore themes of vulnerability and human complexity. After initially studying modern dance at the Higher School for Arts in Arnhem, she transitioned into photography, graduating in 1998 from the Academy for Visual Arts. Middelberg has since established a career as a freelance photographer, specializing in portrait and theater-dance photography. Her work often captures the dualities within people—strength and fragility—and she believes that showing vulnerability in her subjects fosters connection and understanding. Middelberg's photographic style is described as "intense, honest, and picturesque," and she is particularly inspired by the human condition. Her approach focuses on revealing the layers of personality in her subjects, aiming to touch viewers through this emotional depth. She has received numerous awards for her work, including prizes from The Canon Master, the Monochrome Awards and the Px3 Prix de la Photographie Paris. In addition to her portraits, Middelberg has been commissioned for various projects, including work for theater posters.

Statement:

Jason Shih was born in 1972 in Taiwan. In 1991, he began to specialize in metal sculpture when he was a sophomore in the Fine Arts Dept. of Taipei National University of the Arts. In 2001, he graduated from School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA, and majored in Metal Sculpture. And then, he served as the metal sculptor Albert Paley's assistant, involved in crafts and public art work practices. Furthermore, he earned his Art Ph. D. from China Academy of Art, China (2015). Now, he lives in Taiwan, and consistently engages in the both areas of sculpture and public art. Jason Shih’s artistic vision is shaped by a diverse array of influences, from contemporary dance to avant-garde fashion. He cites German choreographer Pina Bausch and British designer Alexander McQueen as significant inspirations. Bausch’s explorations of time and space resonate with Shih’s interest in sculpture’s capacity to embody kinetic energy and spatial imagination. McQueen’s innovative approach to contemporary imagery and themes provides Shih with a broad canvas for creative expression.

Statement:

Morgan Queener is an artist from Fort Wayne, IN making work revolving around human relationships. She uses natural dyes, sewing, quilting, and weaving techniques to create wall hung art. Process oriented, repetitive motions and motifs are continuous throughout her work. Having firsthand experience with a seed to dye natural indigo process, she most often uses natural dyes to color her work. Drawing from relationships in her own life and those she observes, she conveys the individual nuances of each. While each piece varies in size, she is very physically involved in the process of making them, representative of a labor of love, and effort put into human connection.