Winners of the “Misioner@s de Esperanza” Art Contest: Painting – Drawing
We are very happy with the great response to this call for submissions and deeply inspired by the creativity, sensitivity, and hope that the participants expressed in their works. We received pieces from different corners of the Mexican Republic.
The contest was held within the framework of the Jubilee of Hope for migrants and refugees— a time to recognize their dignity, honor their stories, and renew our commitment to walk alongside them.
This initiative was organized by the Network for Migrants, Immigrants, and Refugees (MIRN), with the desire to create a space where young people could express, through art, their spirit of solidarity with those who set out on journeys of search and life.
Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their talent.
Enjoy this gallery created with so much heart!
Last August, we celebrated the “Misioner@s de Esperanza” Art Contest, an initiative that sought to inspire creativity and the missionary spirit through different forms of artistic expression. Today, we joyfully share the winners in the Painting – Drawing category, whose works reflect the talent and hope that bring life to our mission..
1st Place: Valentina Morales Leyte – “Un solo corazón, muchos caminos”
Explanation of the work:
“To migrate with your heart in your hand”, that is the phrase that inspired me to create my piece, which contains many elements that I find important to convey a message to humanity.
At the center, there is a heart filled with flags, which for me symbolizes the union of peoples and cultures. No one is a foreigner in a land where love should prevail, and when the heart is open, borders cease to exist. The heart is also something every human being possesses, one of our most vital organs that allows us to keep living, experiencing, and feeling.
At the bottom of the heart, there are open hands. These hands represent divine support, for God carries us through our difficulties. The hands are painted in different skin tones, God does not distinguish between colors, countries, races, ethnicities, or cultures. He simply holds us all in His infinite love, and there is room for everyone in His hands. These hands also represent the Church, which is each and every one of us. We must be a safe refuge for one another, a place of rest and hope. Those who feel upheld by God also learn to uphold others.
I also included abstract faces. My goal here is to represent that migration has faces, it is not just demographic figures, news headlines, or Instagram Reels. It is made up of mothers and fathers dreaming of feeding their children, young people seeking a future, and grandparents who still believe in hope. Every migrant carries a story, a pain, and a dream in their backpack. Migrants do not come to take anything away from us, they come to show us that life is better when it is shared.
In the upper left corner, I painted the Virgin Mary as the universal mother, the great woman who embraces her children regardless of where they come from or where they are going. The Virgin unites cultures and hearts under the same love, interceding for us all.
I assigned specific meanings to the Virgin’s colors: purple, which during Lent represents sacrifice and transformation; pink, the color of compassion and Mary’s tenderness toward us; and yellow, the light that illuminates the migrants’ paths.
Finally, in the upper right corner, I placed a message from Pope Leo XIV: “Messengers of Hope.” This phrase is deeply important to me, as the Pope is a great leader for the world, regardless of religion or beliefs. He speaks not only of faith but of humanity.
My goal with this work is to make visible a vision of faith, solidarity, and hope. I want my piece to be a heartbeat that unites us as human beings. I also want people to remember, upon seeing it, that leaving one’s homeland is not a choice, it is a necessity. No one abandons what they love out of mere desire.
“Whoever welcomes a migrant welcomes hope, and whoever closes the door closes themselves.”
2nd Place: Dalia Andrea Rocha
3rd Place: Atziry Janett Jardon Noguez – “Una mirada de esperanza”
Explanation of the work:
This piece was inspired by the emotions I imagine migrants feel. I drew a pair of eyes reflecting worry, exhaustion, and fear, yet with yellow gleams that symbolize hope and the strength not to give up, to keep moving forward.
Below the eyes, I placed photographs of migrating people and children, symbols of sadness and sacrifice in their journey toward a destination.
Above the eyes, I included a phrase that, for me, represents that every migrant has a story behind them, one that is reflected in their gaze.
Honorable Mention: Hanibal Rolando Mayen Pérez – “Hermanos en el camino del verdadero reino de Dios”
We invite you to continue exploring and meet the winners of the remaining categories of the 2025 Art Contest. Every artwork tells a unique story and is worth discovering.
Learn more about the winners of the other categories here:
