The Absa L'Atelier art competition, founded in 1986, announced the winners of its 40th edition on Saturday 10 October at the Absa L'Atelier Art & Lifestyle Fair in Johannesburg's Waterfall City Park.
Three artists receive the Ambassador Award: Reginald Boateng (Ghana), Emmanuel Chisenga (Zambia) and Segun Owolabi (Nigeria). According to Joburgstyle, Chisenga is Zambia's first recipient of the award since the group structure was introduced in 2019.
The Gerard Sekoto Award goes to Treasure Mlima, a South African artist based in Durban. It includes a three-month residency at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, from April to June 2027.
Each winner gets a solo exhibition, with a R100,000 contribution towards production costs. The Ambassador Award winners also receive masterclasses and four months of mentorship with a visual arts professional from their home country.
Run with the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA), the competition is open to artists from Absa's 12 African markets. The Gerard Sekoto Award is judged by a panel appointed by the French Institute of South Africa and the French Embassy. Entries for the next edition open in March 2027.
