Stillness Within: Award-Winning Oil Painting Inspiring Quiet Contemplation by Lin Li-Yun

Lin Li-Yun has been honored with the Gold Prize in the Oil Painting category at the Future Art & Design Award UK 2025 Autumn Season for her evocative work titled "Stillness Within". The jury praised her painting as "a beautifully serene painting that invites quiet contemplation and lasting inner calm."

Lin, a self-taught artist, has built her creative path without the benefit of formal training or consistent exhibition opportunities. Her work embodies her dedication to expressing profound emotions and universal themes through art. With a unique philosophy that blends personal introspection and artistic exploration, Lin strives to create pieces that resonate deeply with viewers, inviting them to reflect and connect with their own inner worlds.

Q: What initially inspired this project? Was there a particular idea, moment, or question that sparked its creation?

Lin: As a self-taught artist, I do not come from an academic background and lack consistent access to exhibition opportunities. That’s why I am all the more eager to find a stage where my work can be seen through the act of creation. This piece is a quiet whisper to the world—a tangible expression of my persistence and longing for art.

Q: What was the most exciting or most challenging aspect of bringing this work to life?Lin: The most challenging yet exhilarating moment was discovering that a certain layer of color or brushstroke could precisely capture the emotion of “stillness without emptiness.” It felt like finding a delicate yet resolute thread within chaos—fragile, but undeniably real. I strive to balance the freedom of abstraction with the weight of emotion, constantly shifting between technique and intuition until the image can speak quietly—not with noise or declaration, but with a soft invitation for the viewer to enter the inner landscape of the work.

Q: How was your experience taking part in the Future Art & Design Award UK?

Lin: Winning the Gold Prize at the UK’s Future Art and Design Awards was a truly unexpected and moving experience. For me, it’s more than recognition—it’s encouragement. It has given me greater confidence to bring my work to a broader stage, and affirmed my belief that even as a self-taught artist, sincere and resonant creations can be seen and felt by the world.

About the Award

The Future Art & Design Award UK is an esteemed international competition dedicated to recognizing and celebrating exceptional creativity and innovation across various artistic disciplines. It aims to provide artists and designers, whether emerging or established, with a platform to showcase their work to a global audience, inspiring and nurturing the next wave of creative minds.

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