With a piece depicting the beautiful hornbill, 13-year-old Poonyisa Sodsai from Thailand has been selected from over 1,100 entries received from over 80 countries as winner of the World Wildlife Day 2023 International Youth Art Contest.
Under the theme “Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation,” this year marks the fifth annual contest held in conjunction with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Through vibrant artworks that depict a stunning range of ecosystems and endangered wildlife, twelve semi-finalists from four different age groups were selected by a panel of judges which included representatives from IFAW, CITES, and UNDP, and guest judges including celebrated syndicated cartoonist Jim Toomey, actress Alicia Silverstone, Chief Brand Officer & Creative Director for Munchkin, Inc. Diana Barnes (db), Jackson Wild Executive Director Lisa Samford and last year’s art contest winner, Yanjun Mao, from China.
In total, four youths across varying age categories were also honored for their wildlife art:
- Age 4-6: Puttipat Sakoldiloke, Thailand, Whale, Age 6
- Age 7-10: Shiven Sidharth, India, Tiger, Age 9
- Age 11-14: Poonyisa Sodsai, Thailand, Hornbill, Age 13
- Age 15-18: Ilya Shchekotov, Germany, Tiger, Age 18
The winning artwork as well as all the finalist’s entries are currently viewable on the IFAW Website:
https://www.ifaw.org/journal/wwd-art-contest-2023-winner