Tours 
Once again this year, we were pleasantly surprised by the portfolios we received during the registration period for our Blind Walls Talent Call. From a total of 147 Dutch and Belgian submissions, the expert jury selected the following five promising creatives:
Cheyenne Goudswaard
As an illustrator, animator and filmmaker, Cheyenne Goudswaard (1996) regularly explores what makes us human. She enjoys focusing on the inconspicuous, the unwanted, or the misunderstood. Creating a mural is a new step for her. A step she only dared to take after seeing the video by Buuf Buur, our Talent Call winner of 2025. With the right guidance, she has the courage to take the leap. She will receive that guidance from Marloes de Kiewit; known for her powerful line work, colourful compositions, and beautiful balance between movement and stillness.
Rento van Drunen
With a background in graffiti, a fascination with architecture, and a love for graphic design, Rento van Drunen (1984) creates a variety of work under the name Otner. He would like to focus more on working outdoors and the context and scale that come with it. Rento is paired with coach Bruce Tsai-Meu-Chong; illustrator, sign painter, and co-founder of Opperclaes.
Niknaz Khalouzadeh
A multitude of cultural influences and experience with different types of media characterise the work of Niknaz Khalouzadeh (1997). By combining Orientalist art, European mythology, and Chinese ink paintings, she develops her visual language. Niknaz wants to improve her skills in creating murals. She is the perfect example that persistence pays off, as she signed up for our Talent Call before. This year she actually got selected and gets to work with her coach Ilse Weisfelt, known for her colourful, cartoonish street art.
Riq
Creating from his vision on the world, intrigued by human behaviour, and with a mission to confuse his audience, the work of Rik Pastein (1988), under the alias Riq, is often full of symbolism. He primarily wants to focus on autonomous work and seeks ways to stay current without being dependent on social media. Riq is going to work with coach Zenk One, who has already created murals throughout Europe using a combination of hyperrealism and graphic elements.
Manon Hermans
Manon Hermans (1995) works primarily in the Antwerp region under the name Manonina. She mainly visualises social issues and likes to use interconnection as a counter-argument. With her participation in the Talent Call, she hopes to continue growing under the guidance of an expert and gain experience in exhibiting. She can work on this in the coming period with her coach Joren Joshua, a mural master known for his playful illustrations and elongated figures.
Professional Jury
This year, the professional jury consisted of Rick Molyneux (Creative Director Wallin’), Julia ‘Buuf’ Buur (artist and Blind Walls Talent 2025), and Dennis Elbers (founder Blind Walls Gallery). Age or educational level play no role whatsoever in the selection. So what is it that they do pay attention to? Artistic quality and cultural visual language, experience and development potential, and, of course, the ambition to work in public space.
“It was a significant challenge for the jury to select five creatives from 147 diverse portfolios who represent a diversity in experience, craftsmanship, visual language and background. We have made a selection of creators who have the potential to take a significant step forward in their artistic careers thanks to this project,” said jury member Dennis Elbers.
The Program
With the support of their personal coaches, the five selected talents will work on growth and courage. The first challenge: creating their own mural at the PLOEGENDIENST FESTIVAL in Breda on July 4th.
Later on, a separate showcase will follow for each talent. They will all create a mural individually at the Blind Walls Gallery headquarters, give an artist talk, and release their own work in the form of a print. But that is not all. The talents learn from and support each other, each other’s work, and each other’s networks. The Blind Walls Talent Call reaches further than you think.
Stay tuned
Keep an eye on our channels for more updates regarding the talents of 2026. Are you going to the PLOEGENDIENST festival? Don’t forget to vote for your favourite talent there!
The Blind Walls Talent Call is made possible by Keep an Eye Foundation, the Municipality of Breda, the Province of North Brabant, Verfplaza, and Kairos Events.