TORONTO – May 30, 2014 – Last night, Ubisoft Toronto announced the winner of its first UbiGallery event, an annual competition to showcase and discover video game art and design talent recently graduated from Ontario post-secondary schools. Brian Zuleta was awarded the grand prize of a three-month paid apprenticeship at Ubisoft Toronto and the title of UbiGallery Artist Apprentice.
A recent graduate from Toronto-based Max the Mutt College of Animation, Zuleta joins the Toronto team to work on an unannounced project and help Ubisoft Toronto deliver on its mission to create original and connected gaming experiences.
“The participants in our first UbiGallery competition certainly didn’t make it easy for our team to select a winner,” said Scott Lee, Art Director, Ubisoft Toronto. “I was extremely impressed by the quality of the submissions; there’s a deep pool of local talent here in Ontario.”
Zuleta will join the studio as an artist in June 2014. Drawn to video games at a young age, Zuleta set his sights on securing a position in the video game industry while in high school. Growing up at Jane and Wilson in Toronto, he honed his skills by participating in art competitions with his friends.
“I was always kind of the underdog, but it pushed me to draw more and more to sharpen my skills,” said Brian Zuleta. “I’m most excited to learn the process of creating video games and I can’t wait to learn from one of the best teams in the industry at Ubisoft Toronto.”
In April 2014, Ubisoft Toronto put out a call for submissions for UbiGallery, asking participants were asked to submit a portfolio of their best 2D and 3D concept, character and personal artwork. A panel of Ubisoft Toronto artists then selected five finalists to compete for the title of UbiGallery Artist Apprentice. The artwork from the five finalists will remain on display at Ubisoft Toronto in the studio’s public gallery space.
