Under the Sea
Moku proudly presents the 2nd annual exhibition Under the Sea. This exhibition showcases artists who are passionate about the ocean and its future. If you are an artist who is concerned and in love with our oceans, their ecosystems, and the magical beauty that exists underneath the waves, then we invite you to apply.
We are proud to announce that our Under the Sea exhibition has been endorsed as an Ocean Decade activity. This means that our virtual exhibition will be shared on the Ocean Decade Network, allowing the wonderful work created by the artists to reach a wider audience.
"This publication is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development as a Decade Activity. Use of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development logo by a non-UN entity does not imply the endorsement of the United Nations of such entity, its products or services, or of its planned activities. For more information please access: https://forum.oceandecade.org/page/disclaimer"
THEME
Under the Sea is an international online exhibition open to all artists working in new media, video, digital art, and photography. Two-dimensional works, such as paintings, prints, and watercolors, are eligible, but they must be photographed appropriately for a virtual space. The photograph will then serve as the artwork, but it must be clearly labeled as a photo of a painting, etc.
We are seeking works that exemplify the themes of ocean conservation, sustainability, protection, education, and the deep sea.
ELIGIBILITY
This call is open to artists over the age of 18, worldwide.
Artwork created under the supervision of an instructor is not eligible and must be original to the submitting artist.
Images that infringe upon another’s copyright will be disqualified. AI-generated or assisted artwork is not eligible.
Submitted work must have been executed in the last 3 years.
FORMAT
Selected artists will have their artwork displayed on a virtual map with a pin representing their city. This virtual exhibition seeks to show the public the wide range of participating artists across the world and the importance of our oceans. The spirit of this project is based on collaboration and we hope to foster a community of like-minded people.
Katharine Owens, Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle
DEADLINE
The deadline for submission is Wednesday, April 30th, 11:59 p.m., 2025
Note that this deadline will not be extended.
Entry fee $25
Make your payment via PayPal. If you have any questions, please email us at mokuartstudio@gmail.com.
Irene Middleton, Reflections
SELECTED WORK
The Selection Committee will choose the artworks for the exhibit, focusing on the categories aligned by the Ocean Decade Challenge 10. Our invited judges will then select their top 3 pieces that best exemplify the criteria:
Connecting people and the ocean
A call to action
Restores the viewer’s relationship with the ocean
HOW TO ENTER
-Up to 5 images of your work.
-File name format: Artist name – Title of artwork ( ex. John Smith – UndertheSea)
Image Requirements:
File Size: Max 5MB
Format: jpg, jpeg, png, mp4 only
Ensure professional presentation; including proper cropping, no mockups, frames, or watermarks.
-Info for each work in the following format: Your Name, Artwork Title, Medium, Dimensions, Date
-No zip folders or Google drives
- Must include an artist statement related to your submitted piece. The artist statement should include how is your work related to one of the themes (conservation, education, protection, etc.), what your audience should take away from your work, and any relevant information regarding your work.
Artemis Evlogimenou, Mami Wata
The Judges
Dr. Sarah McAnulty is a squid biologist and science communicator. She is currently the executive director of Skype a Scientist, a non-profit that connects thousands of classrooms to scientists every year. She and her team bring science to people via personal connections and public art in Philadelphia.
Dr. McAnulty is a prolific science communicator, with an active presence on Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, and Tiktok, and on street corners across the USA.
Dr Alan Jamieson is Professor at The Oceans Institute and the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Western Australia and the founding Director of the Minderoo UWA Deep Sea Research Centre. He has over 20 years of experience in deep-sea science, technology and exploration. He is an international authority on the deepest places in the oceans known as the ‘hadal zone’, meaning depths between 6000 and 11,000 metres. He co-hosts The Deep-Sea Podcast.
Dr Helen Scales is a marine biologist, writer, and broadcaster. She is author of many books about the ocean.
She is a regular writer for National Geographic Magazine and the Guardian where she writes a long-standing series on ocean discoveries. She teaches at Cambridge University and is a storytelling ambassador for the Save Our Seas Foundation.
Oriana Poindexter is a photographer and marine scientist. Her work opens dialogues about our relationship with the changing biodiversity of the ocean using traditional and alternative photo processes.
Her work examines the intersection of art, science and the ocean with traditional and alternative photo-based processes. She dives, photographs, and collects images and specimens from her immersions to translate her experiences and interactions with the ocean’s inhabitants into a record of that time and place.
Dr Thom Linley is a fish curator at The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. He specializes in deep-sea fishes and wants to communicate the deep sea as it really is, on its own terms and with the right context. He co-hosts The Deep-Sea Podcast to give people accurate information and personal connection to the deep ocean. He recognizes the power of art as a communication tool and values the insight artists bring to his area of research.
courtesy of Zaria Forman
Zaria Forman documents climate change with pastel drawings. She travels to remote regions of the world to collect images and inspiration for her work, which is exhibited worldwide. She has flown with NASA on several OperationIceBridgemissions over Antarctica, Greenland, and Arctic Canada. She was featured on CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, PBS, and BBC. She delivered a TEDTalk, and spoke at Amazon, Google, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, exhibited in Banksy’s Dismaland, and was the artist-in-residence aboard the National Geographic Explorer in Antarctica. Her works have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, National Geographic, The Wall Street Journal, and the Smithsonian Magazine. Forman currently works and resides in Brooklyn, NY, and is represented by Winston Wächter Fine Art in New York, NY and Seattle, WA
“People protect what they love, they love what they understand and they understand what they are taught.”
Not sure if you should participate? Let us convince you otherwise
The ocean is home to a wealth of biodiversity and every organism plays a critical role.
There are incredible ocean creatures, some of which produce their own light.
The ocean plays an important role in carbon storage, it holds 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere.
The ocean regulates the planet’s temperature.
This exhibition welcomes your creative expression. Participating in Under the Sea allows you to challenge yourself creatively. Exploring the theme can push the boundaries of your artistic practice and lead to personal growth while also creating work with an impact. We encourage you to participate, even if this is the first time you’ve thought about or read about ocean conservation!
Artist Testimonials
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By submitting images of artwork to this online gallery, the artist agrees that the images are their own original work of which they own all rights. The submitting artist takes full responsibility for the content of all images, including the likeness of recognizable individuals. All artwork remains the property of the artist.
Accepted artists grant Moku Art Studio the right to reproduce images on their website and social media where appropriate for promotional purposes only. The artist agrees to allow Moku Art Studio to archive chosen artwork as part of the exhibition. This will be available for public viewing on our website. Moku Art Studio will always credit the artist. Moku Art Studio will not use an artist's images for any other purpose without the artist's permission.
By entering this exhibition, the entrant is agreeing to abide by all terms and conditions listed within this prospectus. This is not a game of chance. Void where prohibited by law.