RenderMan Art Challenge Crowns Diorama Drama Winners
Julia Chaix took first place in the challenge's Diorama Drama theme with The Star Who Fell From The Sky.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Science Fiction
RenderMan announced the results of its Art Challenge, themed Diorama Drama, with Julia Chaix of Kubarium Studio winning first place for The Star Who Fell From The Sky. Antoine Rétif and Igor Woźniak took second and third place, respectively.
Why it matters
The challenge highlights diorama-style 3D artwork produced by independent and student artists working with RenderMan, Pixar's rendering software. The results showcase how small studios and emerging creators are presenting narrative-driven CG scenes to an international audience.
The first-place entry is a narrative diorama in which Sophie, an eight-year-old girl, and her starfish Admiral investigate the disappearance of a star named Mira. The results list three ranked winners, but the total number of submissions was not disclosed.
The players
RenderMan
RenderMan is Pixar's photorealistic rendering software, used widely in film and animation production.
Julia Chaix
Julia Chaix is an artist at Kubarium Studio who won first place in the challenge.
Antoine Rétif
Antoine Rétif is a student at ESMA Lyon in the class of 2028 who placed second.
Igor Woźniak
Igor Woźniak is an environment artist and CG generalist based in Poland who placed third.
The details
Participants built diorama scenes around the Diorama Drama theme. Chaix's winning project follows Sophie and her starfish Admiral as they look into the disappearance of Mira, a star. A making-of video for the first-place work has been released.
Timeline
Results of the RenderMan Art Challenge were announced on November 9, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
Themed challenges like RenderMan's Diorama Drama are a common way studios and software makers surface independent CG talent. Results of this kind signal how rendering tools are being used by a growing pool of student and small-studio artists.
The making-of video for the first-place project is available to viewers now. Community members interested in the work can view the winning entries through RenderMan's published results.
The takeaway
Community art challenges give emerging CG artists a visible platform, and the Diorama Drama winners show how narrative storytelling can be built inside a single diorama scene. Readers interested in the craft can watch the making-of materials to see how the work was produced.
Further reading
For more on animated and CG-driven storytelling, explore the Science Fiction section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 3DVF.
