#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga as the April Regional Artist of the Month in the Northeastern Africa stage of its 2026 global art competition. Running from January through April, this stage recognizes outstanding emerging artists from across the region, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga is an Ethiopian artist and fashion designer based in Addis Ababa, whose practice bridges design and photography.
As the fourth and final monthly winner in this regional stage, Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga joins January winner Reem Aljeally (Sudan), February winner Aissa Joud (Morocco), and March winner Sayda Shukri (Sudan) in the run for the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa, to be announced in early May and receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga as the April Regional Artist of the Month in the Northeastern Africa stage of its 2026 global art competition. Running from January through April, this stage recognizes outstanding emerging artists from across the region, including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga is an Ethiopian artist and fashion designer based in Addis Ababa, whose practice bridges design and photography.
As the fourth and final monthly winner in this regional stage, Eyerusalem Adugna Jirenga joins January winner Reem Aljeally (Sudan), February winner Aissa Joud (Morocco), and March winner Sayda Shukri (Sudan) in the run for the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa, to be announced in early May and receive a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Dublin-based designer Cara Campos explores the afterlife of everyday objects with Objects from Frames (OFF), a furniture collection made from discarded bicycle frames. The series featuring a chair, table, and lamp repurposes end-of-life bikes by cutting, repositioning, and welding their tubular steel structures while preserving original curves, joints, and attachment points. Rather than concealing wear, Campos leaves scratches, chipped paint, and visible welds intact, allowing each piece to carry the physical memory of its former life. Developed from a university project and refined through hands-on testing, OFF highlights the precision engineering of bicycles while transforming them into functional domestic objects that balance reuse, structure, and honest material expression.
Dublin-based designer Cara Campos explores the afterlife of everyday objects with Objects from Frames (OFF), a furniture collection made from discarded bicycle frames. The series featuring a chair, table, and lamp repurposes end-of-life bikes by cutting, repositioning, and welding their tubular steel structures while preserving original curves, joints, and attachment points. Rather than concealing wear, Campos leaves scratches, chipped paint, and visible welds intact, allowing each piece to carry the physical memory of its former life. Developed from a university project and refined through hands-on testing, OFF highlights the precision engineering of bicycles while transforming them into functional domestic objects that balance reuse, structure, and honest material expression.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Tel Aviv-based designer Talia Luvaton works with vegetable-tanned leather through wet-forming and hand-molding techniques that allow the material to dictate form as much as the maker does. Her practice, deeply rooted in craft lineage and inherited tools, produces sculptural pieces that feel organic, bodily, and almost alive.
Tel Aviv-based designer Talia Luvaton works with vegetable-tanned leather through wet-forming and hand-molding techniques that allow the material to dictate form as much as the maker does. Her practice, deeply rooted in craft lineage and inherited tools, produces sculptural pieces that feel organic, bodily, and almost alive.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Regional Art continues in 2026 with its next stage dedicated to Central Europe, featuring emerging artists from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. From May to August, each month 20 new artists will be showcased in the online gallery, with public voting determining the Monthly Artist and culminating in the selection of the Regional Artist and a €500 grant, alongside a €300 Founder’s Favourite award. The initiative continues BE OPEN’s mission to support young creatives whose work reflects cultural identity and contemporary social themes, while giving them international visibility and recognition.
Discover the artists, vote for your favourites, and be part of shaping the future of contemporary art at BE OPEN Art.
BE OPEN Regional Art continues in 2026 with its next stage dedicated to Central Europe, featuring emerging artists from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. From May to August, each month 20 new artists will be showcased in the online gallery, with public voting determining the Monthly Artist and culminating in the selection of the Regional Artist and a €500 grant, alongside a €300 Founder’s Favourite award. The initiative continues BE OPEN’s mission to support young creatives whose work reflects cultural identity and contemporary social themes, while giving them international visibility and recognition.
Discover the artists, vote for your favourites, and be part of shaping the future of contemporary art at BE OPEN Art.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is proud to announce Aissa Joud as the Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa in its 2026 global art competition. Following four months of recognizing outstanding emerging artists across the region, this award highlights exceptional talent from countries including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Aissa Joud is a Moroccan artist from Ouarzazate, known as Morocco’s “Little Hollywood,” whose work reflects his hometown’s cultural and visual heritage and began with selling art to local tourists before pursuing formal art education.
Selected from among the four monthly winners, Aissa receives the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa. The Regional Winner receives a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
BE OPEN Art is proud to announce Aissa Joud as the Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa in its 2026 global art competition. Following four months of recognizing outstanding emerging artists across the region, this award highlights exceptional talent from countries including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, and Madagascar.
Aissa Joud is a Moroccan artist from Ouarzazate, known as Morocco’s “Little Hollywood,” whose work reflects his hometown’s cultural and visual heritage and began with selling art to local tourists before pursuing formal art education.
Selected from among the four monthly winners, Aissa receives the title of Regional Artist of Northeastern Africa. The Regional Winner receives a €500 cash prize and increased international visibility through the BE OPEN Art platform.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Immersive Resilience Garden by Seoul & London–based design and architecture studio StudioReBuild transforms a section of Seoul’s Ttuksom Han River Park into a multi-layered, nature-driven retreat that blurs the boundary between urban infrastructure and ecological experience. Centered around a submerged lounge and a 3D maze-like garden system, the project invites visitors into a 360-degree sensory environment where plants, people, and non-human species coexist. Inspired by natural interactions among insects and vegetation, the design uses tiered planting and perennial species to create a self-sustaining landscape that evolves across seasons while enhancing biodiversity and microclimate. Combining computational fabrication with ecological thinking, the project demonstrates how resource-efficient design can produce immersive public spaces that counter urban overstimulation and foster deeper connections with nature.
Immersive Resilience Garden by Seoul & London–based design and architecture studio StudioReBuild transforms a section of Seoul’s Ttuksom Han River Park into a multi-layered, nature-driven retreat that blurs the boundary between urban infrastructure and ecological experience. Centered around a submerged lounge and a 3D maze-like garden system, the project invites visitors into a 360-degree sensory environment where plants, people, and non-human species coexist. Inspired by natural interactions among insects and vegetation, the design uses tiered planting and perennial species to create a self-sustaining landscape that evolves across seasons while enhancing biodiversity and microclimate. Combining computational fabrication with ecological thinking, the project demonstrates how resource-efficient design can produce immersive public spaces that counter urban overstimulation and foster deeper connections with nature.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Aya Mostafa as the Artist of the Month for April 2026. Based in Cairo, Egypt, Mostafa is a visual artist working across painting, storyboarding, and digital graphics. A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University (2020), her practice is rooted in the vibrant language of pop art, where bold color and expressive portraiture bring everyday moments to life.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners competing for the Artist of the Year 2026 title, which includes a €1,000 prize and promotional support.
BE OPEN Art is pleased to announce Aya Mostafa as the Artist of the Month for April 2026. Based in Cairo, Egypt, Mostafa is a visual artist working across painting, storyboarding, and digital graphics. A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Helwan University (2020), her practice is rooted in the vibrant language of pop art, where bold color and expressive portraiture bring everyday moments to life.
Each month, BE OPEN Art presents 20 artists for public voting, with monthly winners competing for the Artist of the Year 2026 title, which includes a €1,000 prize and promotional support.
#BeOpenNEWS
Register your events for World Environment Day! This year is a moment to rethink how we power our economies and restore our relationship with the climate. Whether you’re a school, business, community group, or government, you’re invited to host an event around 5 June.
Getting involved is simple:
Fill out the registration form to add your event and make your efforts visible.
Explore the interactive map to discover activities happening near you and connect with others taking action.
Join the movement. Register your event. Be part of the change.
Register your events for World Environment Day! This year is a moment to rethink how we power our economies and restore our relationship with the climate. Whether you’re a school, business, community group, or government, you’re invited to host an event around 5 June.
Getting involved is simple:
Fill out the registration form to add your event and make your efforts visible.
Explore the interactive map to discover activities happening near you and connect with others taking action.
Join the movement. Register your event. Be part of the change.
#BeOpenDESIGN
The Bublyk lounge chair by Andrii Kovalskyi turns a simple idea into a striking piece of design storytelling. Drawing from the ring-shaped bread that gives it its name, the chair builds on torus geometry and cylindrical volumes to create a soft, sculptural form that feels both playful and intentional. Wrapped in richly textured upholstery, its bold silhouette balances visual impact with genuine comfort, challenging the notion that furniture must choose between the two. More than a statement piece, Bublyk hints at a broader system of modular forms, suggesting a design language that is as adaptable as it is memorable.
More unconventional soft furniture on our blog.
The Bublyk lounge chair by Andrii Kovalskyi turns a simple idea into a striking piece of design storytelling. Drawing from the ring-shaped bread that gives it its name, the chair builds on torus geometry and cylindrical volumes to create a soft, sculptural form that feels both playful and intentional. Wrapped in richly textured upholstery, its bold silhouette balances visual impact with genuine comfort, challenging the notion that furniture must choose between the two. More than a statement piece, Bublyk hints at a broader system of modular forms, suggesting a design language that is as adaptable as it is memorable.
More unconventional soft furniture on our blog.
#BeOpenNEWS #BeOpenART
Mncobi Mndzebele has been named the April 2026 winner of the BE OPEN Art Limitless programme, recognised for his distinctive portrait practice that explores African identity, culture, and womanhood through everyday materials like ballpoint pen and coffee stains. A self-taught artist from Eswatini, he creates sepia-toned backgrounds using coffee before building finely detailed, expressive portraits that celebrate Black African skin, heritage, and resilience.
Throughout 2026, BE OPEN continues to highlight artists whose work reflects sustainable approaches to artistic practice. Each month, a winning artist is selected and featured in the online gallery, and at the end of the year, three artists will be chosen from the monthly winners by members of the BE OPEN community to receive monetary awards and increased international visibility from the BE OPEN Foundation.
Mncobi Mndzebele has been named the April 2026 winner of the BE OPEN Art Limitless programme, recognised for his distinctive portrait practice that explores African identity, culture, and womanhood through everyday materials like ballpoint pen and coffee stains. A self-taught artist from Eswatini, he creates sepia-toned backgrounds using coffee before building finely detailed, expressive portraits that celebrate Black African skin, heritage, and resilience.
Throughout 2026, BE OPEN continues to highlight artists whose work reflects sustainable approaches to artistic practice. Each month, a winning artist is selected and featured in the online gallery, and at the end of the year, three artists will be chosen from the monthly winners by members of the BE OPEN community to receive monetary awards and increased international visibility from the BE OPEN Foundation.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Geometriæ by Swedish studio Front for Italian brand Moroso turns furniture into a study of drawing made physical. Inspired by classic 3D perspective sketches, the collection builds seating and tables from intersecting geometric volumes that still feel like they belong on paper rather than in a room. Upholstered in custom jacquard textiles, the surfaces recreate pencil shading and watercolor gradients, translating light and shadow directly into fabric.
The result is a deliberate visual confusion where depth is unstable and forms appear to oscillate between flat illustration and solid object. By treating drawing techniques as structural logic, Geometriæ blurs the boundary between design representation and design reality, making furniture feel like it is continuously in the act of becoming.
More optical illusion furniture on our blog.
Geometriæ by Swedish studio Front for Italian brand Moroso turns furniture into a study of drawing made physical. Inspired by classic 3D perspective sketches, the collection builds seating and tables from intersecting geometric volumes that still feel like they belong on paper rather than in a room. Upholstered in custom jacquard textiles, the surfaces recreate pencil shading and watercolor gradients, translating light and shadow directly into fabric.
The result is a deliberate visual confusion where depth is unstable and forms appear to oscillate between flat illustration and solid object. By treating drawing techniques as structural logic, Geometriæ blurs the boundary between design representation and design reality, making furniture feel like it is continuously in the act of becoming.
More optical illusion furniture on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Korean designer Jongha Choi’s De-dimension collection rethinks furniture as both object and illusion, transforming flat, picture-like aluminium forms into fully functional stools and tables. Designed to blur the boundary between two-dimensional imagery and three-dimensional reality, each piece folds and unfolds like a physical sketch coming to life. While ideal for compact living, the project goes beyond practicality, offering a tactile exploration of perspective and challenging how we perceive images, objects, and space.
Korean designer Jongha Choi’s De-dimension collection rethinks furniture as both object and illusion, transforming flat, picture-like aluminium forms into fully functional stools and tables. Designed to blur the boundary between two-dimensional imagery and three-dimensional reality, each piece folds and unfolds like a physical sketch coming to life. While ideal for compact living, the project goes beyond practicality, offering a tactile exploration of perspective and challenging how we perceive images, objects, and space.
#BeOpenARCH
The Lotus Clubhouse by MIA Design Studio unfolds as a low, fragmented composition of circular pavilions set within a lakeside landscape in Vietnam. Organized as a series of dispersed volumes connected by curved paths and bridges, the architecture follows the terrain rather than imposing on it. Layered green roofs unify the scheme, integrating planting, solar systems, and water management into a continuous surface that regulates climate and blends the building with its surroundings. Structural columns expand into sculptural ceilings, creating open interiors that maintain visual continuity with the exterior. The result is a fluid architectural system where form, circulation, and environment operate as one.
The Lotus Clubhouse by MIA Design Studio unfolds as a low, fragmented composition of circular pavilions set within a lakeside landscape in Vietnam. Organized as a series of dispersed volumes connected by curved paths and bridges, the architecture follows the terrain rather than imposing on it. Layered green roofs unify the scheme, integrating planting, solar systems, and water management into a continuous surface that regulates climate and blends the building with its surroundings. Structural columns expand into sculptural ceilings, creating open interiors that maintain visual continuity with the exterior. The result is a fluid architectural system where form, circulation, and environment operate as one.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Beijing-based LUO Studio’s Shell Book Pavilion transforms a public plaza into a kinetic, open-ended reading space defined by movement and accessibility. Shaped as a clamshell, the lightweight aluminum structure lifts and lowers to create shifting spatial conditions, from an open canopy to a more enclosed interior. Designed without a fixed front or back, the pavilion invites 360-degree interaction, extending into the plaza through movable seating.
Beijing-based LUO Studio’s Shell Book Pavilion transforms a public plaza into a kinetic, open-ended reading space defined by movement and accessibility. Shaped as a clamshell, the lightweight aluminum structure lifts and lowers to create shifting spatial conditions, from an open canopy to a more enclosed interior. Designed without a fixed front or back, the pavilion invites 360-degree interaction, extending into the plaza through movable seating.
#BeOpenNEWS
The last day of public voting in the Design Equality competition!
Here are the top 50 entries in the Design Equality competition short-listed for the Public Vote based on such criteria as viability, feasibility and desirability of the design, evidence of a rigorous research process informing the solution proposed, and its creative value. The international jury panel will now review the top 50 entries to name the winners of the First, Second and Third prizes.
Meanwhile all those passionate about sustainability and creativity can cast their own vote in favour of the most promising projects.
The winner of the public online vote by the majority of votes will be awarded a grant of €2,000. The online vote will last till midnight May15th, 2026 (CET).
The last day of public voting in the Design Equality competition!
Here are the top 50 entries in the Design Equality competition short-listed for the Public Vote based on such criteria as viability, feasibility and desirability of the design, evidence of a rigorous research process informing the solution proposed, and its creative value. The international jury panel will now review the top 50 entries to name the winners of the First, Second and Third prizes.
Meanwhile all those passionate about sustainability and creativity can cast their own vote in favour of the most promising projects.
The winner of the public online vote by the majority of votes will be awarded a grant of €2,000. The online vote will last till midnight May15th, 2026 (CET).
#BeOpenNEWS
DESIGN EQUALITY is the 7th international competition in the SDG-focused programme run by BE OPEN. Open to students and graduates worldwide, the competition encourages innovative solutions by young people for a more sustainable future.
Empowering women and girls plays a critical role in accelerating economic growth and social development. By dedicating the 2025/2026 competition to SDG#5, BE OPEN promotes solutions advancing gender equality, meeting the needs of women and girls, and supporting women as innovators and entrepreneurs.
BE OPEN will reward winners with grants from €2,000 to €5,000, educational opportunities and trips to a sustainability event. This year’s jury includes Barbara della Rovere (FAO), Helen Watts (Student Energy), Anna Kaplina (UNECE), Peter Gamundani (GSSA), Anastasia Adamidou (Cyprus Gender Equality Office), Françoise Mlebinge (SOLIFEDE-RDC), Ajisafe Damilola Ifeoluwa (TerraYouth Africa).
The three main winners selected will be announced at end of May 2026.
DESIGN EQUALITY is the 7th international competition in the SDG-focused programme run by BE OPEN. Open to students and graduates worldwide, the competition encourages innovative solutions by young people for a more sustainable future.
Empowering women and girls plays a critical role in accelerating economic growth and social development. By dedicating the 2025/2026 competition to SDG#5, BE OPEN promotes solutions advancing gender equality, meeting the needs of women and girls, and supporting women as innovators and entrepreneurs.
BE OPEN will reward winners with grants from €2,000 to €5,000, educational opportunities and trips to a sustainability event. This year’s jury includes Barbara della Rovere (FAO), Helen Watts (Student Energy), Anna Kaplina (UNECE), Peter Gamundani (GSSA), Anastasia Adamidou (Cyprus Gender Equality Office), Françoise Mlebinge (SOLIFEDE-RDC), Ajisafe Damilola Ifeoluwa (TerraYouth Africa).
The three main winners selected will be announced at end of May 2026.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Israeli designer Omri Piko Kahan transforms discarded bicycle frames into sculptural lounge chairs that preserve every detail of their former life. By reorienting the frames instead of disguising them, the project turns industrial engineering into functional furniture with surprising elegance, structural intelligence, and a strong sense of material honesty.
More tubular furniture on our blog.
Israeli designer Omri Piko Kahan transforms discarded bicycle frames into sculptural lounge chairs that preserve every detail of their former life. By reorienting the frames instead of disguising them, the project turns industrial engineering into functional furniture with surprising elegance, structural intelligence, and a strong sense of material honesty.
More tubular furniture on our blog.
#BeOpenDESIGN
Aureole by Rollo Bryant reinterprets the spiral geometry of sunflower disk florets through advanced 3D printing and quartz sand construction. The sculptural wall lamp features densely layered organic textures that diffuse hidden backlighting into dramatic eclipse-like shadows, transforming a natural growth pattern into a futuristic lighting experience.
More nature-inspired lighting on our blog.
Aureole by Rollo Bryant reinterprets the spiral geometry of sunflower disk florets through advanced 3D printing and quartz sand construction. The sculptural wall lamp features densely layered organic textures that diffuse hidden backlighting into dramatic eclipse-like shadows, transforming a natural growth pattern into a futuristic lighting experience.
More nature-inspired lighting on our blog.