25 Years of Young Talent at Maxo Arte: 57 Award-Winning Youth
The Cabildo of Fuerteventura celebrated the Maxo Arte Joven gala on Friday, January 2, awarding 57 prizes to emerging island artists across all disciplines. The ceremony was held at the Centro Insular de Juventud, where the exhibition of the participating works was inaugurated; the show will later travel to various venues across the island.
Maxo Arte Joven turns 25, cementing its role as one of the main initiatives that supports young creators and promotes cultural development from an early age.
The competition showcased works in a wide range of artistic modalities, including:
- Visual arts: documentary, artistic and nature photography; painting; drawing; graphic and textile design; sculpture and installation; comic.
- Literary arts: narrative and poetry.
- Music: classical, singer‑songwriter, and other musical proposals.
- Performing arts and cinematography.
The Cabildo also announced that the Maxo Arte Market Navidad will return to the Centro Insular de Juventud from Saturday until January 5 2026, marking its third edition as a public space where young creators can display and sell their works.
Quotes
“Twenty‑five years ago, Fuerteventura made a clear commitment to give voice to youth talent with Maxo Arte Joven, an initiative designed to offer real opportunities, visibility and support to those who see art as both a form of expression and a future path.”
— Lola García, President of the Island Council
“This is a special year because of the anniversary of Maxo Arte Joven, which has become a meeting point where we can see the great talent of Fuerteventura’s youth. We must congratulate all participants for sharing that talent.”
— Adargoma Hernández, Councillor for Youth
Other officials present at the gala included Daniel Morales, Director General of Youth for the Canary Islands Government; Nuria Cabrera, Councillor for Finance, Economic Promotion and Employment; opposition councillors Águeda Montelongo and Sonia Álamo; and municipal councillors Jennifer Pérez and María Franco of Puerto del Rosario.
57 Artists Awarded in Maxo Arte 2025
The Cabildo’s Youth Department has created an online catalogue of the winning works, featuring all pieces from the current and previous editions. Below is a summary of the 2025 laureates, grouped by category, with the title of each work and the prize amount (in euros).
Documentary Photography / Photojournalism
- Iván Alonso Elvira – Chronicle of a Moving Neighborhood – €600
- Aiden Gil Gopar – Memories – €325
- Yasmin Lins Guimarães Freitas – Small Animal, Big Problems – €150
- Eric Díaz González – Crosses of the Desert – €100
Artistic Photography
- María Isabel Márquez Marchena – Empty Gazes – €600
- Senda Gutiérrez Soler – Dad Came Back to Play – €325
- Nadia Martín García – What Hurt Me Is Called Displacement – €150
- Melissa Nathalia Frías Aguilar – Useless Arrangement – €100
Nature / Landscape Photography
- Iván Alonso Elvira – The Trace of Abandonment – €600
- Óscar Delgado Fumero – Land Cruiser – €325
- Patricio Dylan Martín Bonfiglio – Looking at the Stable – €150
- Yasmin Lins Guimarães Freitas – Majorero Sheets – €100
Graphic Design
- Mar Díaz Saavedra – Maxo Arte 2026 Poster – €600
- Gara Dosantos Faro – Maxo Arte Joven Poster – €325
- Senda Gutiérrez Soler – Many Hands, One Goal – Maxo Arte 2026 – €150
Textile Design
- Luana Kheima Curbelo Rodríguez – Impulse to Flight – €600
- Julieth Tatiana Valero Mora – Denim Rebirth – €325
- Luzmar García Álvarez – Scraps – €150
Painting
- Sara Gutiérrez Melián – Wings of Silence – €600
- Alejandro José Mesa Fajardo – Studio Silence – €325
- Sara Marrero Jiménez – We Move for Love – €150
- Pedro Vera Sánchez – The Great Collapse – €100
Artistic Drawing
- Ian Arbelo Lorenzo – Cartography of Absence – €600
- Yasmin Lins Guimarães Freitas – Why Are You Leaving? – €325
- Lucía Nieves López – Water, Ducks! – €150
- Melissa Nathalia Frías Aguilar – Where Butterflies Live – €100
Sculpture & Installation
- Erica Rodríguez Ponce – The Great Fossil – €600
- Ian Arbelo Lorenzo – Vestige of Eternity – €325
- Yasmin Lins Guimarães Freitas – Trapped Inside Me – €150
- Melissa Nathalia Frías Aguilar – Silent Pain – €100
Mural Painting
- Sara Gutiérrez Melián – Heroes of the Atlantic – €600
- Ian Arbelo Lorenzo – Threshold – €325
- Airam Díaz Sanjuán – Steps of Sun and Salt – €150
- Lucía Nieves López – The Curse of Laurinaga – €100
Comic
- Pavle Jockov Popov – Cloe’s Garden – €600
- Adrián Rosales Guerra – Whatever Shape It Takes – €325
- Mar Díaz Saavedra – Why? – €150
- Kirian Cabrera Badra – Before We Leave – €100
Literature – Narrative
- Senda Gutiérrez Soler – You Mixed Everything Up – €600
- Nahiara Gutiérrez Melo – The Courtyard That Always Rains – €325
- Carolina Moledo Arzúa – With Crushed Feet – €150
Literature – Poetry
- Adrián Antonio Tejero Martín – The Lament of the Rock – €600
- Lope Gil García Tejero – The Turning Mill – €325
- Nahiara Gutiérrez Melo – Mourning – €150
- David Rivero Lugardo – Washington – €100
Classical Music
- Shuyu Chen – Study Op. 10 No 5 (Chopin) – Sonata Op. 2 No ? (Beethoven) – €600
- Yara Reguilón Mata – Erster Konzert für Klarinette / Sonate – €325
- Adalia Milud García – Czardas – Irish Party in the 3rd Class – €150
Singer‑Songwriter
- Mariana de Jesús García Campos – Juan / Think About It – €600
- María Isabel Márquez Marchena – Half of Me / Never Grove Love – €150
Other Musical Proposals
- Claudia Valeria Anzalone – Game Over / Redamancia – €325
- Ángelo Alexandre de Freitas Franco – Hi‑Hats Big Band / I Used To – €50
- Fernando Sánchez Rosales – Untitled – €50
- Ángel Martín Suárez – Untitled – €50
Performing Arts
- María Celeste Morales Acevedo – The Last Death – €600
- María Isabel Márquez Marchena – Real Instinct – €325
- Sara Gutiérrez Melián – Pigment of Gesture – €150
Cinematography
- Adrián Antonio Tejero Martín – What You Didn’t Say – €600
- Iván Alonso Elvira – Fragments of a Journey – €150
These awards highlight the breadth and vitality of Fuerteventura’s young artistic community, offering both recognition and financial support to nurture their future careers.