Sierra Leonean-American high school student will have his art hung in the U.S. Capitol after winning art competition

Charles Herbert High School student Lusenie Turay recently won the Fifth District Congressional Art Competition with his artwork, “Regal Musing.”

Turay said in a statement, “I am truly honored and humbled that my artwork ‘Regal Musing’ has been selected as the winning piece to represent District 5. As a Sierra Leonean American, to be able to share the spirit of my home country through art connects me to my roots. The opportunity for it to represent not only Sierra Leone’s culture, but our district in the United States Capitol, is an honor. I poured my heart into capturing my story, and I truly hope my work sparks a deeper appreciation for diverse perspectives and encourages others to share their own unique voices.”

The Washington Informer reported that the young artist’s work, which emphasized the beauty and tones of dark skin against a deep blue background, would be formally exhibited on June 27 at the annual awards event held in the U.S. Capitol. After that, the painting will hang there for a year.

The honoree, a Google Code Next Engineer student, created this image using Procreate software. Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) expressed, “I was captivated by his artwork and impressed by the time and effort he put into creating it. I look forward to viewing his thought-provoking piece in the Capitol complex this year.”

The publication stated that over 650,000 entries from districts all around the nation have been accepted into the Artistic Discovery competition since 1982. High school kids are invited to demonstrate their abilities yearly at a congressional event.

Once all entries have been received, the winner is chosen by a panel of judges from the business and education communities.