EDITION 02
Traces
Every artwork begins with a mark. Every life leaves something behind. Edition 02 – Traces brings together visual artists who find meaning in what remains, the traces of time, memory, and human presence that shape the world we see and the one we carry within.
Winner – Edition 02
Jaden Zen
Temporal Trace · Mixed Media · 30×30 · 2026 · Taiwan
Artist statement: ♧Time flows through memory, presence, and possibility. ♧Every trace becomes part of the journey.
Leave Traces, Not People Behind
Photography – 50.2×24 – 2023
Tais Yáñez – UK
Tais stated that the photograph documents traces left behind by migrants crossing European borders near Bosnia, echoing her own 26 years of crossing borders herself.
Temporal Trace
Mixed Media · 30×30 · 2026
Jaden Zen Taiwan
Jaden Zen stated that time flows through memory, presence, and possibility, and in Temporal Trace, that becomes three clocks, rendered as rose, sun, and crescent moon, melting through deep violet space, unmoored from the hours they were made to measure.
Seabed
Watercolors, markers, graphics on paper – 21×30 – 2025
Claudia Tessitori Velović – Croatia
Claudia stated that the work traces a dialogue between intuition and structure, drawing on the mysterious organic forms of the seabed to map an inner, underwater-like landscape of emotion.
The owl inside
Water cane / wood slices (sculpture) – 3D-3 feet – 2026
Ajipe Oluwadunsin Samuel – Nigeria
Ajipe stated that the sculpture is a self-portrait built from discarded wood slices and water cane, with the owl symbolizing quiet inward wisdom rather than absence.
Fire
Oil on canvas – 60×60 – 2026
Katarzyna Wroniak – Poland
Katarzyna stated that she paints by observing nature, capturing brief moments of stillness before they transform into feeling.
Young Woman with Bow Tie
Oil paint – 40.64×50.8 – 2026
John Swofford – USA
John stated that his expressive brushwork aims to capture the emotional energy beneath a person’s surface rather than a literal likeness.
Hanabi Festival
Colored pencil and graphite – 25.4×17.8 – 2025
Christopher Tran – USA
Christopher stated that the piece reconstructs a hazy but treasured memory from a fireworks festival in Japan, where only the most meaningful details remain vivid.
Sempre Purgnare Volare – Always Fight and Fly
Mixed Media – 65×108×2 – 2026
Ava Grayson – Australia
Ava stated that the work is about releasing self-imposed limits and choosing courage over regret.
Meet the Artist →
Heart of the World
Acrylic paint on canvas – 91.4×121.9 – 2026
Cecily-Rose Ceillam – Guernsey
Cecily-Rose stated that the piece is a personal exploration of self-perception and memory, inviting viewers to reflect on what it means to be human.
The Last Night of Marlen
Painting – 50×40 – 2026
Maria Shtypuliak — Poland
Maria stated that the painting refuses to judge its subject, choosing instead to honour her right to fall, heal, and begin again.
Timeless Dhow
Digital photography – 90×60 – 2022
Nikola Glavan – Qatar
Nikola stated that the abandoned dhow captures how history and cultural identity remain visible long after their original purpose has faded.
Deer In the Woods
Photography – 4272×2848 px – 2025
Miller Warren – USA
A deer skull and bone rest half-buried in the forest floor, caught in a sliver of light against the surrounding dark – what remains once life has passed, slowly returning to the earth that once sustained it. A quiet, literal trace.
Catalogue – Video – People’s Choice
All works featured in this exhibition are documented in the Marea Gallery Edition 02 – Traces catalogue. Participating artists appear with their artwork and name; finalists and winners with artwork details and links to their websites and social profiles.
What’s next?
The next edition is coming. Submit your work and be part of Marea Gallery.