NAILCOMPETITION

NORTH AMERICA's Star nail Artist

SEASON 3

Check out the handiwork for the first NASNA challenge of Season 3, which saw contestants venture beyond the traditional nail art canvas to craft forms that are truly out of this world

I maginative, intricate and extraordinary: the submissions from North America’s Star Nail Artist (NASNA) contestants for the opening challenge of Season 3 astounded judges – and truly stretched skillsets and creativity.

Titled Anatomy of Imagination, sponsor, Jan Arnold, teamed up with Emmy Award-winning creature designer, Neville Page, to set the artistic brief. Page’s work spans iconic films and franchises – including Avatar, Star Trek and Prometheus – and, together with Jan, he invited the contest’s shortlisted pros to embrace a creative space beyond the nail plate. They drew on his philosophy that great design is rooted in anatomy, function and storytelling to craft an original species in just two weeks – but the challenge didn’t stop there.

Owing to the visual nature of the nail sector, NASNA judges assess social media video and photography skills alongside creativity, and submissions required up to 20 photos of the creation, plus a write-up and five-minute video showcasing the artistic process. After the contestants’ tasks were complete, it was time for the judges to take on their own exciting challenge: to immerse in the entries and score on 10 criteria.

The results of this saw 19 contestants soar through to Challenge 2, and five fight for their place in the contest with a Wild Card task. This took the majority of techs one step closer to the top title and cash prize.

THE TASK: Anatomy of Imagination – The Neville Page Creature Design Challenge

What happens when Hollywood creature design meets the limitless creativity of the nail industry?

Step into the mind of legendary Emmy Award-winning creature designer, Neville Page, whose visionary work has helped define some of the world’s most iconic cinematic universes. Inspired by his philosophy that great design is rooted in anatomy, function and storytelling, create an entirely original species, using five nails, the hand and arm as the canvas.

Engineer an organism with biology, habitat, behaviour and evolutionary history. The five nails should be integral anatomical elements within a larger sculptural masterpiece that can expand across the hand, climb the arm and rise into space without creative limits. Bring the concept to life through any combination of nail enhancements, sculpture, mixed media, lighting, armatures and dimensional construction.

Entries will be judged on biological logic, technical execution and visual impact, with Neville Page as a guest judge. Use imagination and craftsmanship to transform five nails, the hand and arm into an unforgettable living world. Create the unseen and command the canvas!

Scan to view the exclusive creature design masterclass that Neville Page recorded for contestants, to support their challenge concepts.

“The first challenge of NASNA - Season 3 was certainly otherworldly, but for me, it has tremendous relevance to what we do every day as nail artists. Too often, we see nails as a separate element rather than as an extension of the person wearing them – yet nail art can tell a story. Nails can reflect personality, lifestyle, fashion, identity, creativity and even anatomy. They are not just an accessory. They are part of the whole.”

Jan Arnold

THE ENTRIES

Aura Aponte-Flores

Britt Higgins

Katherine Pena

Abbie Nguyen

Calvin Jones

Ana Vega

Cynika Murphy

Iryna Shemet

Kelsey Waldo

Iuliia Pashina

Linh Duong

Lucycela Munoz

Liudmyla Keremet

Klysta Pesina

Halyna Kaliugina

Tayna Ducharme

Oksana Viriutina

Nethan Nguyen

Zulema Naciff Hernandez

Mariana Dolganova

Natascha Laudenberger

Quincey Sosebee

Maryna Kozhevnikova

Shayna Osazuwa