All About Me: Using Metaphors to Explore Identity, Haus-a-rest Open Call for Artists and Writers

About this call

Haus-a-rest, an independent online zine showcasing visual art, literature and cross-disciplinary practice, invites artists and writers to submit work on the theme 'All About Me: Using Metaphors to Explore Identity'. Rather than literal self-portraits, the editors want work that uses objects, animals, landscapes, colours, patterns, symbols and everyday things as metaphors for aspects of identity, whether playful, reflective, abstract, humorous or deeply personal. Any medium is welcome, from painting, drawing, printmaking, photography and sculpture to textiles, ceramics, installation, film, sound, performance and digital work, as well as short stories, essays and poetry. Selected works are shown in a curated online group exhibition in December 2026 on haus-a-rest.com and shared on the zine's social media, and there is no fee to enter or to be selected.

Who can apply

• The official call states no eligibility restriction
• Medium: Painting / Drawing / Printmaking / Photography / Sculpture / Installation / Textile / Ceramics / Mixed Media / New Media / Video / Performance / Writing
• Free entry
• Open internationally to artists and writers at any stage, including emerging, mid-career and established artists, students, recent graduates and self-taught artists. Work must respond to the theme, be resolved and be the applicant's original work; existing work or new work made for the theme are both accepted. AI-assisted practices are welcome, but AI-generated work is not accepted. A public Instagram account is required: artists without an Instagram tag will not be selected. Artists submit 1 to 3 artworks with name and location, title, year, medium and dimensions or duration, a clear image of each work, and a statement of up to 300 words on how the work connects to the theme and the metaphor behind it. Writers may send prose up to 1,000 words or up to 3 poems, as a Word document only, with a 50-word synopsis explaining how it connects to the theme. At most one work per artist is selected. Submit through CuratorSpace (free account needed). No fee to enter or if selected, and no payment to artists. Selected works are featured in an online exhibition and/or a publication. By submitting you allow Haus-a-rest to display, publish and promote the work; artists keep all rights, and works are typically online for six months, which is not guaranteed.