The Debian Project is now accepting artwork proposals for Debian 14, called “Forky.” Artists and community members are invited to help shape the look of the next release, which is expected in mid-2027.
Every Debian release comes with a unique theme that appears in the installer, boot screen, login screen, and especially as the default desktop wallpaper. As work on Forky continues, Debian is looking to choose the artwork for this release.
You can submit your artwork until November 26, 2026. After that, the community will vote on the entries, likely starting about a week after the deadline, but it could take up to three weeks.
Debian wants artwork that clearly fits the Debian style, can be added without changing core software, and stays clean and attractive over time. They ask that themes do not require major changes to GTK or GNOME Display Manager.
There are already six proposals listed on the Debian wiki.
- Alborz takes inspiration from the Alborz mountain range in northern Iran. It already has artwork for GRUB, Plymouth, the Debian installer, desktop wallpaper, and the login screen.
- Aquatis uses a modern, abstract design with wave shapes, aquatic colors, and the Debian swirl in the center.
- Beach Day shows a tropical summer scene with a beach, red plants, and the Debian logo.
- Cutlery is a playful take on the Forky name. The design uses vertical ribbons to hint at the tines of a fork, but does not show a fork directly.
- Spiral Fork uses smooth, flowing curves to represent a fork. Previews are already available for the desktop wallpaper, GRUB boot screen, and Debian installer.
- The sixth proposal, Orange Sunshine, takes a very different approach with an orange abstract design generated using Evolvotron.
For reference, Debian 13 “Trixie” used the same community process. Six finalists competed for the default artwork, and the winner, “Ceratopsian” by Elise Couper, was chosen after a public poll with 2,817 responses.
You can still submit more proposals on the Debian artwork wiki before the November 26 deadline. After submissions close, the community will vote, and the chosen theme will become the look of Debian 14 “Forky.”
For more details, see Debian’s official announcement.
