“Local Essence” – An Illustration Contest Celebrating Local Identity
WVR - From May 17 to June 16, 2025, the “Local Essence” Illustration Contest invites young artists to celebrate and share the beauty of local cultures across Vietnam through creative illustrations. The contest is co-organized by UNESCO, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, and Vietnam Local Artist Group, with support from SOVICO Group.
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| “Local Essence” – An Illustration Contest Celebrating Local Identity |
Vietnamese national culture is a harmonious picture composed of many identities, where each locality represents a unique color. With the desire to gather and spread the distinctive cultural beauties of each region, the Illustration Contest with the theme “Local Essence” welcomes unique ideas from the visual arts community, across various forms such as painting, illustration, design, etc. Each artwork is a proud testament carrying the story of the unique “essence” and identity of each land, creating a vibrant and multicolored cultural symphony of the Vietnamese people.
Submitted works must meet the following requirements:
● A valid entry must be submitted via the application form, accompanied by a caption or a short description.
● Minimum artwork size is 40cm x 40cm. Minimum resolution is 300 dpi. Important elements should not be placed near the edges of the artwork.
● There is no limit to the number of artworks an artist can submit. However, each application form may only include ONE artwork. If the artist submits multiple works, please use separate forms for each and clearly name the artworks.
● Entries can be digital or hand-drawn; for physical works, they must be neatly scanned or photographed, sharp, without shadows or unrelated objects such as backgrounds, table tops, or colored pencils…
● The artwork must not have additional text, unless the text is part of the artistic composition.
● The artwork description must not contain extraneous information such as advertisements, news, links, or hashtags that are not in accordance with the contest’s regulations.
● Artworks that include any part created or assisted by AI tools are not accepted.
The total prize value is over 80 million VND with the following prize structure:
● 03 Outstanding Work Awards, each including: 5,000,000 VND in cash; 01 set of printed winning artworks; Certificate of Achievement
● 23 Notable Work Awards, each including: 2,000,000 VND in cash; 01 set of printed winning artworks; Certificate of Achievement
● 01 Popular Vote Award: 1,000,000 VND in cash; 01 set of printed winning artworks; Certificate of Achievement
● 05 Promising Work Awards, each including: 1,000,000 VND in cash; 01 set of printed winning artworks; 01 special gift from the Judges; Certificate of Achievement
● 03 Outstanding Collaborative Work Awards, each including: 4,000,000 VND in cash; 01 set of printed winning artworks; Certificate of Achievement
Note:
- The copyright of the submitted work belongs to the artist. By completing and submitting the registration form, the artist and/or the rightful owner of the artwork (in the case of copyright transfer) agree to allow UNESCO to use the work for non-profit project-related activities and communications, as well as UNESCO’s reporting.
- In case the Organizing Committee wishes to use the artworks on other products for commercial purposes, any prize money and copyright royalties paid to the artist shall remain two separate components and will not be combined.
The “Local Essence” Illustration Contest will accept entries from May 17 to June 16, 2025.
Find more information about the contest HERE
The “Local Essence” Illustration Contest is part of the EMPLEMENT! project initiated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the support of SOVICO Group, aimed at supporting the Government of Vietnam in maximizing the continuous contributions of culture. This includes making full use of opportunities from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network and UNESCO-recognized World Heritage sites in Vietnam, in alignment with the National Strategy on Cultural Industries and the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism toward 2030, empowering Vietnam’s young creative talents to influence and contribute to the country’s sustainable development agenda with innovative ideas and actions.
Press Contact:
Ms. Tran Thi Ngoc Han
Project Officer, UNESCO Office in Vietnam
Email: tn.tran@unesco.org
Phone: 0973692847
Ms. Do Phuong Thao
Community Executive, Vietnam Local Artist Group
Email: dophuongthao@tiredcity.com
Phone: 0972466850
Editor’s Note:
About The EMPLEMENT! Project:
On November 5, 2021, SOVICO Group and UNESCO signed a cooperation agreement to implement the project "Empowering Youth and Women to Strengthen Local Engagement and Benefits at UNESCO-Recognized World Heritage Sites and Creative Cities in Vietnam." The signing ceremony took place at UNESCO Headquarters with the presence of Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.
About Vietnam Local Artist Group (VLAG):
Established in early 2019 by the cultural and creative organization TiredCity, Vietnam Local Artist Group (VLAG) is a community for connection and learning, bringing together a wide array of artists—especially illustrators—and art enthusiasts. With over 200,000 members and more than 60 regular offline and online events such as large-scale illustration challenges, exhibitions, workshops, and talk shows, VLAG is not only a playground for exchange and learning but also an inspiring online creative space.
The Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, and Vietnam Local Artist Group
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