LABA International Art Festival Finalists Announced at LABA Icon Awards Ceremony

Princess Karen Cantrell, Joe Davidson, Meeson Pae Yang, Todd Williamson, and Harrison Engle with LABA Icon Charity Awards.

Los Angeles, California, USA. 29th September, 2021. The Los Angeles Beverly Arts (“LABA”) and the LABA Los Angeles International Art Festival (“LABA Art Festival”) announced the festival’s finalist during the Art Festival’s Icon Charity Award (“Icon Charity Award”) ceremony last night on September 29th at the Four Seasons Hotel. The evening opened with Top-40 Billboard recording artist Laura Angelini who sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

Founding Chairman of the LABA Art Festival, Joey Zhou and Harrison Engle, a LABA International Art Festival Juror, jointly announced 150 finalists from 27 countries for "LABA's Most Influential Artists in the World." The news was released to more than 100 news media agencies worldwide.

Due to the pandemic, the festival required online participation and had delayed the selection process among thousands of works submitted by artists. Dr. James Daichendt, President of the Jury, stated that the Jury members carefully reviewed the finalists for this festival.

Joey Zhou gives a presentation about the LABA Icon Charity Awards

LABA Blue-Chip Artist Jiannan Huang (center) receives his LABA Icon Charity Award via video conference from Ike Khamasani (L) and Harrison Engle (R). He held his own ceremony watching party at his studio in Beijing, China.

The offline exhibition of the shortlisted artists' works will be held in Beverly Hills in the Spring of 2022, along with the "LABA World's Most Influential Artists" awards ceremony. According to the organizing committee, many renowned international artists will attend this prestigious event.

Since last year, the Chinese artist Jiannan Huang has seen an upsurge in demand for his art on the Internet in the United States. He has attracted more than 10 million viewers online, making his popularity not only overwhelming in the United States but also on the Internet worldwide.

Huang is currently the highest-ranked artist in the finalist list of the LABA Art Festival, followed by American artists Dionisio Cimarelli, Joshua Elias, Katherine Arion, Joe Davidson, Petra Eiko, Ariel Vargassal, Meeson Pae Yang, Miguel Osuna, Vicki Walsh, Catherine Ruane, Lisa Schulte, Randi Matushevitz, Katie Ruiz, Devon Tsuno, Jonathan Paul, Dyse One, Macha Suzuki, Roman de Salvo, Petra Eiko, Ariel Vargassal , Meeson Pae Yang, Richard Magram, and Jayne Schelden.

Other international artists included were Australia's Philippe de Kraan, Austria’s Tommy Aquino, Tania Chanter, France's Yannick Bouillault, Daniel Cayo, Diana Malivali, Russia's Valerie Privalikhina, Hungary's Endre Kecso, Japan's Miyuki Takanashi, India's Raman Adone, Britain's Rachael Elwell, Canada's Lisa Carney, Vidal Toreyo from Spain, Ziesook You from South Korea, Hye-Jin Stella Kim, Lucian Szekely-Rafan from Romania, Andi Sules from Indonesia, Van Lanigh from the Netherlands, Alessio Mazzarulli from Italy, Nikol Klampert from Israel, Michael Cusack from Ireland , Pava Wülfert from Colombia, Andreas Claußen from Germany, Luciano Cian from Brazil, Natsuko Teruya from Singapore, Mijan Jumalon from the Philippines, Loi Duc from Vietnam, and Daniel Liau Wee Seng from Malaysia were among the finalists.

LABA Blue-Chip Artist Jiannan Huang shows his certificate that he received during his own ceremony party at his studio in Beijing, China.

David Lau, Karen Han, Cici Lau, and Paul Ottosson with LABA Icon Charity Awards

Remy Aron, the French Artists Association chairman, joined the LABA Art Festival and recommended talented young artists participate. As a result, the top 50 artists from France and the United States accounted for many participants. Senior, middle-aged, and young artists in mainland China included Jun Tan, Xinyong Wang, Hanxiang Zhao, Wei Ze, Wei Zhou, Guixun Xu, Wenkang Xue, Shuai Tan, and Haoyue Tan. Local Chinese artists in the United States were Genhe Ding, Xiaomu Feng, and Zhou Xu, who also made the top 100 finalists. In October 2021, finalists worldwide will successively receive qualification certificates in the mail from the California headquarters of the LABA Art Festival.

Princess Karen Cantrell, Ike Khamasani, Harrison Engle, and Joey Zhou with certificates

Honored guests and award presenters included: Princess Karen Cantrell, Chairman of the Royal Society of S. George and Rotating Chairman of the LABA International Art Festival; Ike Khamisani, Chairman of the Inland Empire of the United Nations Association of the United States; Harrison Engle, member of the Presidium of the Jury of the LABA International Art Festival Organizing Committee; Joey Zhou, Founding Chairman of the LABA International Art Festival and internationally renowned television host; David Lau, former three-term Mayor of Monterey Park; and Hollywood veteran actor and producer Cici Lau.

This year's Icon Charity Award winners are high-ranking artists from the international art world and influential figures in art management. The first winner to receive the award was Jiannan Huang, a Chinese artist who’s spent time studying art in France. Jiannan Huang also won the first prize for the LABA Art Festival. Due to the pandemic, Jiannan Huang could not attend the event in person. The LABA committee arranged an Internet connection to make the awards ceremony live for Huang.

Laura Angelini with her LABA Icon Charity Award and Joey Zhou

Other winners included: The Dean and Professor of Art History at the University of Southern California; Dr. James Daichendt, Professor of the Department of Fine Arts at the New York Academy of Art; well-known sculptor Dionisio Cimarelli; Richard Wearn, Professor of Art at California State University and Chairman of the West Hollywood Art Committee; Remy Aron, President of French Artists Association; Paul Ottosson, recipient of three Academy Awards and LABA Art Festival advisor; Karen Han, celebrity musician; Todd Williamson, renowned painter and sculptor; Meeson Pae Yang, California landmark work designer; celebrated sculptor Joe Davidson; Dr. Debby Jou, US Art Bank founder, Laura Angelini, a Billboard Top-40 recording artist and philanthropist; and Angela Liu, LABA's International Art Festival general agent in Shenzhen, China.

Karen Han and Paul Ottosson with their LABA Icon Charity Awards

The evening ended with an atmosphere of love, art appreciation, and dedication among attendees at this distinguished event.

Joe Davidson, Meeson Pae Yang, Todd Williamson, Harrison Engle during the ceremony.

Todd Williamson with his LABA Icon Charity Award and Joey Zhou.

Laura Angelini sings "Share That Love" at the end ceremony.

Joey Zhou and guests celebrate at the end of the ceremony while Laura Angelini performs.