Dear friends,
In conversations with artists, we often speak openly about ideas, exhibitions, the forces that influence us, and our experiences behind the work we do. Yet one subject still seems much harder to approach: money.
An artist we know once told us that one of her fine art professors used to say, “Money and art belong at opposite poles.” This helps explain why many emerging artists still feel uncomfortable discussing prices. They often hope a gallery, an adviser, or an agent will lead the conversation for them.
But understanding the value of your work, communicating it clearly, and building relationships with collectors are essential professional skills for anyone making art for a living. Artists spend years developing their visual language, yet receive far less guidance on value, sustainability, and long-term career building. The art world should help close that gap.
We hope this month’s news shows how much having the right support can make a difference. Whether it comes through representation, mentorship, professional networks, or thoughtful collaborations, it can make or break an artist’s career.
We’ve also included three online learning recommendations for anyone who wants to understand the wider art world and navigate it with more confidence.
Hugs,
Sensity team
For this year’s open call, we received 128 submissions from incredibly talented women artists around the world. We thank every artist who submitted their work and trusted us with their stories.
Our jury, comprising internationally recognised curators and cultural leaders Carmen Ballesta, Betty Bigas, Laura Rositani, Elena Shchukina, Alisa Lisovskaia, and Auronda Scalera, has selected the winner and finalists of the open call 2026 edition.
Winner:
Jamie Pazmino is an Ecuadorian visual artist and researcher based in London, working across installation, video, photography, and land art.
Finalists:
Anna Samoylova is a London-based multidisciplinary artist who combines painting, printing, and hand-embroidery on raw calico to explore domestic archives, intergenerational memory, and motherhood.
Sophia Mainka lives and works between Munich and Paris. Her artistic practice spans sculpture, video, and installation, combining conceptual research with experimental material.
All the finalists will be invited to participate in our group exhibition, which will take place this autumn in Europe (we’ll announce the host city soon). They will also benefit from one-to-one mentoring sessions with our curators. In addition, the winner will receive three months of career development support.
In the photo below, from left to right: Jamie, Anna, and Sophia.
Dasha Wesel is now one of the artists represented by Sensity Studio
Dasha is a US-based visual artist working in geometric abstraction and conceptual art. Her practice focuses on drawing and serial composition, and is inspired by her background in engineering and design, which shapes her precise, disciplined approach to creating layered systems of form, balance, and colour.
Dasha’s statement is simple: “We are all born with the same default settings, but our lives change based on our environment, upbringing, and how we are loved and perceived. My work is a bridge between memory and life in the present moment. Memories combined with today’s emotions fuel my creativity, acting as an awakening so we don’t forget to live fully today.
Through colour, I breathe a new story into a ‘simple’ blueprint, turning graphic lines into a colourful kaleidoscope on canvas. I want to show that on any grey day, there is always colour and light.”
We’re also welcoming Sandy Coburn to Sensity Studio
Sandy is an award-winning American fine-art photographer based in The Hague, the Netherlands. She explores how light, unmanipulated colour, and form reveal the extraordinary within the ordinary.
Her practice is unified by a specific philosophical approach to seeing, guided by the principles of Taoism and Buddhism.
Approaching her subjects with a documentarian’s precision and a fine artist’s poetic sensibility, she captures the dreamlike, surreal truths that reside within real spaces.
Sandy’s photographs have been exhibited across the UK and Italy, including at the Edinburgh Art Fair and the International Prize Poseidon for the Arts in Venice. Her work has also been widely published in European art periodicals.
“I create art that invites viewers to pause, look more deeply and rediscover awe within the world,” says Sandy Coburn.
Since 2024, Sensity Studio has been working with Olga Treivas, an artist and architect whose practice moves between architecture, crystal, glass, and collectible design.
Her work has been presented at the Venice Biennale, the Design Museum in London, Fondazione Berengo, and MADE in São Paulo.
Olga is also the founder of Treivas, an architecture and design bureau.
Her latest project with the Treivas team is Sol Na Peneira,
a new chapter in her long-running Emma series,
which was featured on a Casa Vogue cover this year
Created in collaboration with Oficina São João, the collection brings furniture, textile craft, and architecture together through sculptural wooden pieces finished with hand embroidery.
Inspired by the Brazilian expression tapar o sol com a peneira, it celebrates traditional craftsmanship, analogue labour, and the beauty of imperfection.
Contemporary artists do far more than create in the studio. Research, art history, and a clear understanding of galleries and the art market all help shape a stronger practice.
Here are three online learning platforms I recommend:
I hope one of these brings a fresh perspective to your practice.
Ladies, a quick reminder that I run a non-profit initiative for women.
If you or someone you know needs support and encouragement to step forward and speak up publicly, leave a corporate job, start a business, or make an important life decision, I would love to hear from you.
