Do you have lived experience with pain and a passion for creative expression? In collaboration with the Global Alliance of Partners for Pain Advocacy (GAPPA), PAIN invites artists to submit original artwork that reflects your personal experience of pain for a chance to be featured on the cover of our September 2026 issue, in conjunction with Pain Awareness Month. A shortlist of runners up will also be highlighted by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP).
Who can participate:
Individuals with lived experience of pain—whether chronic, acute, or related to health conditions—are encouraged to share their unique perspective through art.
About PAIN
PAIN is IASP’s flagship scholarly journal, devoted to publishing the most cutting-edge research on the nature, mechanisms, and treatment of pain. We invite you to browse our archive of journal covers for examples of art that has been featured in the past.
Submission Guidelines:
- Artwork should be original and visually compelling. AI-generated art is not eligible for consideration.
- Any medium is welcome (painting, drawing, digital art, photography, mixed media).
Submission Materials:
- Submissions will need to be uploaded digitally in the following format:
- TIF or EPS formats are preferred. Raster images must be at least 300 dpi.
- Images of any aspect ratio may be submitted. However, please be aware that the selected art will be formatted to fit the dimensions of a PAIN cover: 8.5 inches by 11.25 inches (approximately 21.5 cm by 28.5 cm), an aspect ratio of approximately 3:4. Preference may be given to art that could be easily adapted to these specifications.
- Please note that the PAIN logo covers approximately the top quarter of the journal cover. Preference may be given to art that does not include crucial details that would be obscured by the logo.
- As a reference, we are providing a copy of the PAIN cover logo that you can overlay on your image to determine how good of a fit your material might be: [PAIN Cover Overlay.png]
- This element is provided for reference only. Please do not submit an image with the PAIN logo already incorporated into it.
- A title and brief artist statement (150 words max) describing the piece. You may choose to include details about your inspirations, motivations, techniques, materials, and context of the work within your greater oeuvre.
Deadline: 1 May 2026
Submit your work here!
Selected artwork will be showcased on the September 2026 cover of PAIN, with additional features highlighting the artist’s story and creative process. The artist will also have a chance to be interviewed on the International Association for the Study of Pain’s newest podcast, Pain Exchange, to speak more about their work and the artistic process.
Your story matters to us. We are honored to amplify lived experience voices through art in this issue!