Black & Gold is an online exhibition focused on one of the strongest visual contrasts in contemporary art. We are interested in how artists use black, gold, or their combination to create tension, hierarchy, and presence — whether through restraint or excess, minimalism or density.

We invite contemporary artworks where black and gold form the core of the visual language. Works may be abstract or figurative, digital or traditional, yet the use of color must be intentional. Each piece should feel resolved, conceptually focused, and visually deliberate, showing that use of the colors or the interaction between these colors is essential to the work.

Prizes

Dates

January 1, 2026 — Applications open
January 21, 2026 — Application deadline
January 25, 2026 — Notification of winning artworks

Gold Award

Ntumo

Olga Tkachova

Oil on canvas, 70×70 cm

Ntumo — created with blessings, this unique painting embodies a combination of strength, nobility, and spiritual energy. Against a warm golden yellow background reminiscent of the morning mist of the savannah, a black horse and an African girl in a shimmering robe become symbols of pure strength and inner harmony.

Certificate

Round the Block

Cathy Ehrler

Found street objects, pet food containers, single use plastics, metal parts and other discarded materials

This piece is a visual exploration of waste, value and renewal. Through composition and aesthetic transformation, this work challenges the viewer to see beauty in what is broken, overlooked or discarded and question the societal norms around consumption. excess and disposability.

Certificate

Likely Delacata

Melanie Mitchell Tucker

Linoprint

The term "Delacata" in this case refers to the quality of the catfish. Only the best-tasting fish earn this designation. Pond-raised catfish from my Mississippi Delta home are considered the best in the USA. The hand-carved block is printed on bamboo paper, and is accented by scalloped gold frame.

Certificate

Luxury Has A Name

Maureen Ravnik

Photography

Black and gold fit this car perfectly. It is a 1960 Bentley, classic car. Hopefully my treatment of it exudes luxury.

Certificate

Bwg Abstract

Anthony Chapman Arps

Photography

Still Life arrangement influenced by cubist art school.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

The Guardian (at sunrise)

Joanna Levesley

Pen and ink on black board, 80cm x 120cm

‘The Guardian (at sunrise)’ is a captivating, large-scale pen and ink work that masterfully blends intricate detail with luminous elegance. The composition features a stylised, contemplative angelic figure—an embodiment of strength and serenity— enveloped in a cascade of flowing lines and organic motifs, rendered in a sophisticated palette of black, gold, and copper.

Inspired by a musical composition written for electric violin, this artwork illustrates the majesty of the sunrise. Flowing gold and copper, along with intricate linework, evoke the energy of the dawn’s radiance, capturing the moment when light breaks through darkness and a new day begins—a celebration of renewal, harmony, and hope. The emotive power of music is translated into a visual language.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Golden River

Jaden Zen

Mixed Media

♡A river of gold flows through silence, teaching time how to shine.
♡Thoughts drift without weight, where black remembers and gold lets go.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Golden Pampas

Paul J. Collins

Photography

Pampas grass plumes photographed in afternoon sunlight turning them to a beautiful golden colour positioned in front of a window and using a back background material behind the glass to make the stems pop.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Roddarna

Monica Pernroth-L

Mixed media, 23×32cm

Painted on hard board

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Winter Symphony

Heather Curwen

Mixed Media

Similarly to Nocturne, Winter Symphony depicts a bleak winter landscape (monochrome elements) under which the germ of new life is waiting to emerge (gold elements).

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Dancing in the moonlight

Matthias Krispien

Photography

After listening to the song "dancing in the moonlight" by the band "Toploader" on my way to the forest lake, I see the twigs dancing together. Wonderful, when a visitor to my exhibition says to her boyfriend: Look, that's a marriage proposal.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Crown of Thorns

Greg M Paulson

Drawing

12” x 20” graphite pencil drawing

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Golden Age

Matthias Hübner

Acrylic on canvas

Acrylic, UV-reactive pigments and gold on canvas, 100 × 70 cm
Golden Age juxtaposes a realistic, grayscale portrait of age and experience with an abstract golden field. Gold and UV-reactive layers reveal hidden dimensions, reflecting on time, value, and the fragile idea of a “golden age.”

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Goldie

Lucie Theroux

Acrylics & gold leafing on galleie wrapped canvas

18 x 30 inches , acrylics on a gallery wrapped canvas

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Dancing in Birches

Caren Keyser

Acrylic on canvas

This striking abstract contains white, bronze and gold colors that are set off nicely by the black surrounding them. At the tops of the loops are shapes suggesting birds or ducks. The long areas of the loops remind me of a forest of birch trees in the fall.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Life of the Pear

Krystyna Vinogorodska

Oil on canvas

In The Life of the Pear, black and gold form a field of tension in which value emerges through contrast. The black space envelops the composition, creating a sense of night, depth, and a stage outside of time — a place where meaning is not yet defined but already present.

Gold is concentrated in the image of the pear and in the reflections within the figure, functioning not as ornament but as a carrier of meaning. The pear becomes a metaphor for life, temptation, and fragile value — something that glows within darkness and demands a choice. Gold establishes a visual hierarchy, guiding the viewer’s gaze and sustaining attention.

The figure exists between play and ritual, grotesque and seriousness. It is less a character than a conduit of a state — a moment of transition in which life is perceived as a luminous object, not yet owned by anyone. The interaction of black and gold emphasizes that value cannot exist without darkness, and that life becomes visible only through contrast.

The work explores color as a vessel of meaning and presence, where gold embodies life and black becomes the space that allows it to appear.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

DORIC 42

Alan Todd

Oil on canvas

This work is part of a series that explored what remains of the history of Port Adelaide.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Golden Age

Jason Shih

Cast bronze, gold leaf

Beautiful years are like golden youth.
In the long river of time, the brilliance is dazzling and brilliant;
In the dimension of time and space, it flies, burns and blooms at will.

Youth is an unruly soul and unbridled glory;
Sincere enthusiasm can resist the wind or rain, and fighting spirit can overcome the huge waves.

Fearless youth is faith and willingness
May youth always be with us,
Lead us to see all the richness and glory in life.

To youth, never-ending freedom and light

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

GOLDRUSH

Gayle Printz

Acrylic on Canvas

GOLDRUSH is an Original 12-Time Award Winning Abstract Painting that measures 24” High by 20” Wide

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

The Golden Cross

Gerhard Kroyer

Digital Painting

A swirling golden relief flowing across a celestial body, evoking sacred geometry and planetary motion and suggesting a meeting point of energy, balance, and inner transformation suspended in the dark.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Scythian queen

Volodymyr Slepchenko

Cardboard, mixed media

A monumental image of a female ruler created through the symbolic contrast of black and gold. Black suggests depth and inner strength, while gold represents power, sacredness, and cultural continuity. The restrained gaze and ornamental details evoke the heritage of ancient Scythian civilization, forming a contemporary interpretation of a timeless sovereign figure.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Gold Flame

Robert Snyder

Porcelain

Wheel-thrown and hand-built porcelain, fired to cone 5 then luster fired with gold luster.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Backlit

Ted Rigoni

Digital photography

As a new day dawns over the Mojave Desert's Providence Mountains, early morning sunlight caresses the Kelso Dunes, using its warming rays to give light and life to the coming day.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Mon Mari

Joe Maibach

Acrylic

A painting of my husband on a 30x40” wrapped canvas. It’s my first attempt at creating a masterpiece reminiscent of Gustav Klimt, and my first use of gold paint.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Light of All Beings

吴明亮

Watercolor on paper

Hope fills the heart, the light in the eyes of humanity—a shared aspiration for all beings. People yearn for a magical radiance symbolizing good fortune to shine upon them, feeling as thrilled as witnessing the sun rise each morning.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

The water horse looks back

Matthias Krispien

Photography

In a fraction of a second, the stream revealed to me a golden horse, looking back. Ear, eye, nostril, and the golden body—the sun, with its spotlight, had done its work, illuminating the horse with all its vitality in this moment of such intense contrast.
After a fraction of a second, my subject was gone, gone.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Goldene Serie

Rasty Stone

Acrylic on canvas

Rasty Stone, an internationally renowned artist, has gained considerable attention in the art world with his unique approach to modern compositions. These masterpieces are known for their dynamic combination of golden elements and contrasting backgrounds. The “Golden Series” is a prime example of his talent for combining both elegance and drama in a single work of art. Geometric shapes decorated with gold leaf play a central role in this series. The subtle dialogue between the shiny gold surfaces and the deep dark tones of the background draws the viewer into a world of harmony and tension. The golden lines and circles radiate a timeless beauty and reveal that Rasty Stone not only respects tradition, but also boldly breaks new ground. His works are on display in exhibitions around the world and captivate art lovers. Rasty Stone's artistic creations are compelling not only because of their visual appeal, but also because of the depth and meaning that resonates in each of his works. He is a truly unique artist in the world of contemporary art.

Certificate

Curator’s Choice

Golden leaf

Inbal Kristin

Photography

In this close up photograph, a solitary leaf is revealed in the heart of the forest. Bathed in sunlight, it becomes a focal point of enchantment. The rays of light gently caress its delicate surface, bestowing upon it a golden, almost otherworldly glow, as if it carries an ancient secret within. The surrounding forest softens into a quiet, mysterious backdrop, inviting the viewer to pause, observe, and discover the wonder hidden in the smallest details. This is a moment in which nature reveals itself not merely as a place, but as an experience—fragile, luminous, and full of mystery.

Certificate