Self-Portrait

Join us in celebrating the art of self-portraiture and present your creative vision to a global audience. Sponsored by the Portrait Society of Canada, the Self-Portrait Competition 2026 is an online exhibition and the Society’s competition to feature public voting.

Public voting will determine the Best Self-Portrait Artists of 2026, with winners announced on June 21, 2026. The competition is open to professional visual artists and to anyone with a serious interest in portraiture.

Awards

• Best Traditional Self-Portrait Award 2026 – $1,000 CAD
• Best Contemporary Self-Portrait Award 2026 – $1,000 CAD

Artists are invited to submit digital images of their work in JPEG format. All accepted submissions will be exhibited on the Portrait Society of Canada website from June 1 to June 20, 2026.

Submissions will be evaluated based on composition, technical execution, artistic application, and overall vitality of the portrait.

Cash awards will be mailed to the winners on June 21, 2026.

As Canada’s only professional online competition dedicated exclusively to fine art portraiture, this initiative offers a rare opportunity to gain public recognition within the contemporary Canadian art landscape.

Rules and Procedures

• Open to Canadian and American visual artists.
• Portraits and sculptures in all media are accepted (2D and 3D). All works must be original.
• Entries must be submitted as digital JPEG images with a maximum file size of 3 MB.
• All entries must be postmarked on or before May 20, 2026.
• The artist’s name, title, medium, and dimensions must appear on the submission and registration form.
• Entry Fees:
  • $30 CAD per artwork for Portrait Society members (maximum of 4 entries)
  • $50 CAD per artwork for non-members (maximum of 4 entries)
• Submission media will not be returned, unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
• Works previously entered in other competitions or exhibitions are eligible.
• Email Entry: Submit scanned registration forms and JPEG images to info@portraitsociety.ca. Payments may be made via e-transfer to the same address.
• Mail-in Submissions:
  Portrait Society of Canada
  1057 Steeles Avenue West
  P.O. Box 81665
  Toronto, Ontario
  M2R 3X1, Canada