Meet the Art Competition Judges!

This year we are running the first international art competition for World MS Day. Participants are invited to express their experiences of MS and the connections that matter most to them. We have gathered a global panel of artists affected by MS to shortlist and pick the winners. We are delighted to introduce you to this talented panel, representing different countries, experiences, and skills.

Lydia Emily Archibald

Lydia Emily Archibald is an artist and MS advocate based in Los Angeles, in the United States. A street artist, muralist and oil painter, Lydia Emily’s prolific and dynamic work has featured in art galleries across the world. Her signature style is realistic portraiture with themes around social justice and equality.

Lydia Emily battled cancer in 2010, only to be diagnosed with MS in 2012. She later became a spokesperson for the National MS Society in the United States sharing the story of her diagnosis and struggle with MS alongside her message of hope.

Lydia Emily is the subject of ‘The Art of Rebellion documentary’, about her battle with progressive MS, and painting as creative resistance. You can learn more about Lydia Emily in the National MS Society’s ‘#ThisIsMe’ campaign.

Giovanna Gil Alves

Giovanna Gil Alves is an artist from Montevideo Uruguay who creates paintings, drawings, ceramics and illustrations. Her work is largely autobiographical and inspired by the world around her.

Giovanna references Picasso as her greatest inspiration and daily creative influence. Picasso’s restless and inventive approach inspires her in the creation of still life, nude compositions and landscapes. Giovanna’s work features in permanent galleries across Uruguay, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Spain. Giovanna is excited to be part of this year’s judges panel as her family is affected by MS and she stands in solidarity with the MS community.

Amaia Vincente

Amaia Vicente is an Spanish artist and researcher in Art, Science, and Technology. She uses different mediums to convey meaning: from sculpture, and installation, to performance, and digital. Amaia combines technology and craft to explore themes around beauty, home, capitalism, and power. She is interested in bodies as symbols of identity saying ‘The body in my work is the cornerstone, a body mainstreamed by cultural and social norms.’

Amaia has been selected for many creative grants, exhibitions, festivals, and symposiums internationally, including the Fillet Gallery, London, the “ADIIF Video Creation Festival”, at Cannes Film Festival and the “FemTourTrack’ in Stockholm.

Amaia lives with MS and her latest performative work ‘EKSOGRAPHY’ uses a robotic exoskeleton that helps people with MS recover mobility skills. She is currently doing a Ph.D. on the potential of exoskeletons for people with MS at the Department of Art and Technology, Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU).

Together this brilliant panel will assess all competition entries on the following criteria:

• Relevance – How does the art piece explore and link to the campaign theme.
• Originality – How is the art piece imaginative, different or unique. 
• Artistry – How does the art piece use creativity and technique to express meaning.   

Stay tuned for shortlisted artists and winners to be announced on World MS Day 30 May!