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‘Spike’s Valley’

Thiago Goncalves de Oliveira, Brazil

IAPLC notes: This aquascape has a bright impression with stones and stem plants. The work remarkably stands out with a combination of bluish stones and bright coloured stem plants. The stone arrangement with few shadows, white sand in the foreground and gradient in the background all work effectively in this aquascape.

Nathan says: A punchy entry with a bright, texture-rich Brazilian style layout. Rather than hiding hardscape in the shadows, the grain and hue is proudly displayed, and the stem plants at the surrounds provide a patchwork of tonality to offset the stark, open white. This is a hard style to get right, but the creator has excelled in achieving it.