Deadline: 20-Jul-2026
The BIC Art Master Contest 2026 invites artists from Africa and the Middle East to submit original artworks created with BIC Ball Pens. The competition theme, “Tomorrow in Your Hands,” encourages artists to express their creativity, hopes, stories, imagination, and vision for the future.
The winner will receive $2,000, an online personalized gallery, and a feature in the BIC Art Collection. The second-place winner will receive $1,000, and the third-place winner will receive $500. Applications must be submitted before 20 July 2026.
Contest Overview
The BIC Art Master Contest is an art competition designed to celebrate creativity across Africa and the Middle East.
The contest encourages artists to use BIC Ball Pens as a creative tool and showcase original artworks that reflect personal stories, imagination, and future-focused ideas.
It offers artists the opportunity to gain recognition, receive cash prizes, and access wider visibility through BIC’s art platforms.
Main Objective
The main objective of the BIC Art Master Contest is to encourage artists to express creativity and gain international recognition.
The contest aims to:
- Promote artistic talent across Africa and the Middle East
- Encourage creativity using BIC Ball Pens
- Support original artistic expression
- Celebrate future-focused visual storytelling
- Provide recognition and financial rewards
- Offer global exposure to selected artists
- Highlight artists through the BIC Art Collection and exhibitions
Theme: Tomorrow in Your Hands
The theme for the competition is “Tomorrow in Your Hands.”
This theme celebrates the power of creativity to shape the future.
Artists are invited to create original artworks that express:
- Hopes for the future
- Personal stories
- Imagination
- Vision
- Creativity
- Transformation
- Possibility
- Human experience
- Social or cultural perspectives
The theme gives artists space to interpret the future through their own visual language.
Key Focus Areas
The competition focuses on creativity, originality, and artistic expression.
Key focus areas include:
- Visual arts
- Ball pen artwork
- African artists
- Middle Eastern artists
- Contemporary art
- Creative expression
- Future-focused storytelling
- Original artwork
- Artistic recognition
- Global exposure
- BIC Art Collection
- Art competitions
Prizes and Awards
The contest offers cash prizes and recognition for the top winners.
First Prize
The winner of BIC Art Master Africa 2026 will receive:
- $2,000 cash prize
- Online personalized gallery
- Feature in the BIC Art Collection
Second Prize
The second-place winner will receive:
- $1,000 cash prize
Third Prize
The third-place winner will receive:
- $500 cash prize
Additional Visibility for Artists
Selected artists may gain visibility through the BIC Contemporary Art Collection and Exhibitions.
This platform includes works from artists around the world and has attracted thousands of visitors and media attention.
For emerging and established artists, this visibility can help increase recognition, expand audiences, and strengthen professional profiles.
Who is Eligible?
The contest is open to residents of:
- African countries
- Middle Eastern countries
Eligible applicants must be artists who can create original artworks using BIC Ball Pens.
Each participant may register only once.
Artwork Requirements
Submitted artworks must meet the competition requirements.
Each artwork must be:
- Original
- Authentic
- Created using BIC Ball Pens
- Prepared on a minimum A3-size paper or medium
- Submitted before the deadline
- Created by the submitting artist
Winning artists may be required to present the original artwork for verification.
Number of Entries Allowed
Each participant may submit up to three artworks.
However, each participant may register only once.
Artists should select their strongest and most original works for submission.
Deadline
The deadline to submit entries is 20 July 2026.
Artists should prepare and submit their work before the deadline to ensure eligibility.
What the Contest Supports
The contest supports creative expression through accessible art materials.
It gives artists a platform to:
- Showcase their talent
- Gain regional and international recognition
- Compete for cash prizes
- Share future-focused ideas
- Build visibility through BIC’s art platforms
- Connect with wider art audiences
Why This Contest Matters
The BIC Art Master Contest matters because it gives artists across Africa and the Middle East a platform to share their creativity with a wider audience.
By requiring artworks to be created with BIC Ball Pens, the contest highlights how simple tools can produce powerful and meaningful art.
The competition also supports artistic visibility by featuring selected artists through collections, exhibitions, and online platforms.
How to Apply or Submit an Entry
Artists should prepare an original artwork and complete the contest registration and submission process.
Step 1: Confirm Eligibility
Artists should confirm that they are residents of an eligible African or Middle Eastern country.
Step 2: Understand the Theme
Applicants should carefully review the theme “Tomorrow in Your Hands.”
The artwork should clearly reflect the artist’s interpretation of the future, creativity, hope, imagination, or personal vision.
Step 3: Create Original Artwork
Artists must create original artwork using any BIC Ball Pens.
The artwork should be prepared on at least A3-size paper or another eligible medium.
Step 4: Select the Best Works
Each participant may submit up to three artworks.
Artists should choose works that are original, visually strong, and clearly connected to the theme.
Step 5: Register Once
Each artist may register only once.
Applicants should ensure that their registration details are accurate before submission.
Step 6: Submit Before the Deadline
Entries must be submitted before 20 July 2026.
Late submissions may not be considered.
Step 7: Keep the Original Artwork
Winning artists may be asked to present the original artwork for verification.
Artists should keep the original work safe after submission.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid the following mistakes:
- Submitting artwork after the deadline
- Registering more than once
- Submitting more than three artworks
- Using artwork that is not original
- Submitting work not created with BIC Ball Pens
- Ignoring the theme
- Using a paper or medium smaller than A3
- Failing to keep the original artwork for verification
- Providing incomplete or inaccurate registration information
Tips for a Strong Submission
A strong submission should:
- Clearly respond to the theme “Tomorrow in Your Hands”
- Use BIC Ball Pens creatively and skillfully
- Tell a strong visual story
- Show originality and authenticity
- Demonstrate attention to detail
- Present a clear artistic concept
- Reflect a unique personal or cultural perspective
- Be prepared neatly on the required minimum size
- Be submitted before the deadline
FAQ
1. What is the BIC Art Master Contest?
The BIC Art Master Contest is an art competition for artists across Africa and the Middle East to create original artworks using BIC Ball Pens.
2. What is the theme of the contest?
The theme is “Tomorrow in Your Hands.” Artists should create works that express their hopes, stories, imagination, and vision for the future.
3. Who can apply?
Residents of African countries and Middle Eastern countries are eligible to participate.
4. What prizes are available?
The first-place winner receives $2,000, an online personalized gallery, and a feature in the BIC Art Collection. The second-place winner receives $1,000, and the third-place winner receives $500.
5. What materials must be used?
Artists must create their artworks using BIC Ball Pens.
6. How many artworks can one artist submit?
Each participant may submit up to three artworks but may register only once.
7. What is the deadline?
The submission deadline is 20 July 2026.
Conclusion
The BIC Art Master Contest 2026 offers artists in Africa and the Middle East a valuable opportunity to showcase creativity, compete for cash prizes, and gain wider recognition.
With the theme “Tomorrow in Your Hands,” the contest invites artists to use BIC Ball Pens to express powerful ideas about the future.
Artists should prepare original, authentic, and theme-focused artworks, follow the submission rules carefully, and submit their entries before 20 July 2026.
For more information, visit BIC Art Master.