India-based ACG Group has announced winners in the first-of-its-kind "Art in a Capsule" competition. Initially launched in April of this year, the contest challenged aspiring artists to create miniature masterpieces – so tiny, in fact, that they could fit inside one of the company’s signature capsules.

More than 80 miniature entries were received from around the world. The winner of the $5,000 grand prize was Ajay Kumar Mattewada, whose diminutive depiction of an Indian military cavalryman stood out from the pea-sized pack. Second and third places went to Rusi Barucha and Arthur Lazaryan, respectively. Jessica Noelle Morse and Silas Gonzalez also won $1,000 apiece for a special Judge’s Discretion category.

30 artworks were submitted from India, 30+ from the United States, 25 from Europe and 4 from Latin America. The innovative artwork showcased a diverse range of styles and subject matters and were judged on three parameters: execution, concept and “wow” factor. Jury members included Nandini Singh, a prominent collector of Indian Art, Vishwanath. D. Sable, Dean, Sir J.J. School of Art, and Nina Neve, an art connoisseur and "Wildlife artist of the year" coordinator at David Shepherd Wildlife foundation.

Regarding the competition, Peter Neve, CMO of ACG said: “We are quite happy to see the response to our Art in a Capsule competition from across the world. It has garnered attention from promising artists, and we were inspired by how each entrant painstakingly laboured over the project, displaying not only talent but also drive and passion.”

ACG founders, the Singh Family, have been one of the most formidable corporate art collectors in India. As connoisseurs of art, the family has built a collection that now boasts over 400 individual paintings and sculptures and have supported many artists over the past 50 years.