For 40 years, the Absa L’Atelier Art Competition has provided a platform for emerging visual artists across Africa.
Established in 1986 in partnership with the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA), the competition recognises artists while creating opportunities for them to develop their work through exhibitions, mentorship and international exposure.
The 2026 winners were announced at the Absa L’Atelier Art & Lifestyle Fair at Waterfall City Park on Saturday, 10 October.
This year’s competition reportedly attracted a record number of registrations and hundreds of eligible entries from artists across 12 Absa African markets.
Three artists received the Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassador Awards - Reginald Boateng from Ghana, Emmanuel Chisenga from Zambia and Segun Owolabi from Nigeria. South African artist Treasure Mlima, from Durban, won the Absa L’Atelier Art Gerard Sekoto Award.
The recognition carries different meanings for each of the winners. Some see it as an opportunity to bring stories rooted in their own communities to wider audiences, while others hope to use the support to experiment with new techniques and challenge their existing approaches to art.
Speaking to “The National”, the four artists reflected on the ideas behind their work and what the awards could mean for their next steps.
For Boateng, whose work explores labour, mental health, environmental degradation and African identity, the award offers an opportunity to bring these stories to a wider audience.
“My work is shaped by my Ghanaian heritage, the people around me, and the stories we share as Africans. I believe everyone has an individual story and a unique way of understanding the world, but colour is a universal language that connects us, communicating emotions, ideas, and meaning beyond words,” he said.
His works include “Fishing for Gold”, which explores the value of labour, “Colour of Emotions”, which reflects the human mental state, “Our Waters Turn Red”, which addresses environmental degradation, and Son of Africa, which celebrates African identity.
Although the works examine different subjects, Boateng sees colour as the element that connects them and allows their messages to travel beyond cultural and geographical boundaries.
He also hopes the recognition will help challenge perceptions of photography within contemporary art.
“Receiving the Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassador Award has given me a platform for the eyes of this world to see into the lens of my stories and also it contributes to the wider recognition of photography as a legitimate form of contemporary art, deserving of the same appreciation and space as other art forms. It reinforces my belief that photography can communicate powerful ideas, challenges and perspectives,” he said.
He added that, inspired by the bank’s message “Your Story Matters”, he wants his work to create space for Ghanaian and African stories, identities, and experiences to be seen, valued, and understood beyond borders.
By using colour as a universal language, he hopes to connect diverse stories across Africa and the world, serving as a reminder that while individual experiences may differ, there is always something that brings people together.
For Chisenga, the award carries significance beyond his own career. He is the first Zambian artist to receive an Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassador Award since the competition introduced its group structure in 2019.
The painter, who has spent years making work about children and their imaginations, said the recognition affirmed that Zambian stories could find an audience beyond the country’s borders.
“This milestone means everything to me. For me personally, it means validation. For years I’ve been painting children, talking about this uninhabited imagination, and sometimes you wonder if anyone is listening. This award tells me that our Zambian stories have a place on the continental stage. That we don’t have to paint like someone else to be seen,” he said.
Chisenga hopes the milestone will encourage younger artists in Zambia to pursue their work without feeling they need to leave the country to gain recognition.
“I hope it tells every young artist in Zambia that you don’t need to leave Zambia to be world class. You just need to tell your Zambian story truthfully,” he said.
He also wants the award to shift perceptions of Zambia’s visual arts scene, pointing to the painters, sculptors and storytellers whose work deserves greater visibility.
“I am the first, but my prayer is that I will not be the last,” he added.
For Owolabi, the award presents an opportunity to develop both the technical and conceptual aspects of his practice. The Nigerian artist works with thread, using the material to explore memory, identity and human connections.
He wants to investigate how thread can communicate these ideas beyond its role as a medium, while also examining Nigerian cultural identity and heritage, particularly the ways people continue to interpret and live with history.
The Ambassador Award includes the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition, with the bank contributing R100,000 towards material costs. Winners also receive art masterclasses, a laptop or equivalent device and a four-month mentorship with a leading visual arts authority in their respective countries.
“Through the solo exhibition and mentorship, I hope to challenge my current approach, learn from experienced professionals, and develop a stronger understanding of how to communicate my ideas to different audiences. For me, growth means not only improving my technique but also becoming more precise and confident in the stories I choose to tell,” he said.
For Mlima, the Gerard Sekoto Award will provide an opportunity to experiment with his relief and wood-carving practice during a three-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France, from April to June 2027.
The Durban-based artist wants to investigate whether he can translate his relief and wood carvings into three-dimensional works, while considering how exposure to a different cultural environment might influence his exploration of universality.
“With the vast resources and information available at my disposal, I’d really like to explore the possibility of translating my wood carvings to 3-D works,” he said.
“Beyond that, the exposure to a different part of the world will definitely enhance this notion of universality that I’m currently exploring.”
The Gerard Sekoto Award, established 18 years ago, recognises a South African artist for the integrity and quality of their work.
In addition to the Paris residency, Mlima will have the opportunity to hold a solo exhibition, with Absa contributing R100,000 towards its material costs.
The award is made possible through a partnership between the Embassy of France in South Africa and the Institut français d’Afrique du Sud (IFAS).
“Gerard Sekoto’s legacy reminds us of the importance of artistic freedom and exchange across borders. Through this award, emerging South African artists can develop their practice and forge international connections. We congratulate the 2026 recipient and remain committed to supporting artistic exchange between France and South Africa,” said Jean Spiri, Head of Cooperation at the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi and Director of IFAS.
The 2026 winners will now have opportunities to develop their practices through exhibitions, mentorship and international exposure.
Entries for the next Absa L’Atelier Art Competition are scheduled to open in March 2027 and close at the end of April.
nomathamsanqa.sithathu@nationalmg.co.za