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Youth with Refugees Art Contest

What if your creativity had the power to spread hope? 💙 

The theme of the 2023 art contest is “Hope away from home”.

We are calling on young people globally to submit a drawing that illustrates the power of including refugees. This year, the best designs will be turned into t-shirts by our partner UNIQLO and sold to support displaced people globally!

Please read through the conditions before submitting your creation


 Who can participate?

If you are between 10 and 30 years old, this art contest is your chance to use your creativity for a good cause. You don’t need to be a professional artist. Anyone can be creative in their own way. Young refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless and internally displaced people are most welcome to join the contest.


🏆 What is the reward?

This year, the best designs will be turned into t-shirts by our partner UNIQLO. They will be publicized and sold in selected UNIQLO stores (including online stores worldwide and any other channels decided by UNIQLO and UNHCR) to support displaced people globally! The shirts will also be shared with UNHCR and UNIQLO’s social media platforms with millions of followers. Finalists will receive special prizes and goodies from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.


❤️ What is the theme?

The theme of the 2023 art contest is “Hope away from home”. We are calling on young people globally to submit a drawing that illustrates the power of including refugees. 

No one chooses to leave their homes. No one chooses to become a refugee. What would give you hope if you were forced to leave your home one day? Or what has given you hope if you are forcibly displaced?


🎨 How will your art be judged?

Your art will be judged based on its creativity and how effectively it conveys its message. A jury of refugees, artists, celebrities, UNHCR officials and UNIQLO representatives will select the best drawings and designs. 

The decision will be final, and no correspondence for appeal will be entered into with the participants.


👉 How does it work? 

You can draw by hand or on a computer or tablet. If you draw by hand, please scan or take a good-quality picture of your drawing. We accept drawings in pdf, jpeg and png formats. We recommend that the photo size be 2048×2048px and the resolution be 350dpi. 

To enter the competition, make sure to submit your creation (drawing or a comic) illustrating the theme by clicking on the button below. Feel free to draw more abstract designs.

Please read through the conditions before submitting your creation


🗓️ When is the deadline?

The deadline is September 30th, but we encourage you to share your creations as early as possible, as we aim to publish submissions we love regularly on our social media accounts!

The winners will be notified individually via e-mail between October and November 2023. 

For any questions, please contact [email protected] !

Previous editions


🥇 Who won the 2021 edition?

The theme of the 2021 art contest was “Together through sport”. It shed light on the power of sport to bring people together and create a sense of hope. 


🥇 Who won the 2020 edition?

The theme of the 2020 edition was “everyone counts in the fight against COVID-19, including refugees.” We received 2,000 drawings from 100 countries. We awarded seven global winners (whose drawings were animated by the Japanese Studio Speed Inc), five regional winners, five prizes for cartoons and 20 special mentions. All winners received boxes of pencils from Caran d’Ache, our partner, for the art contest.