The 2026 Absa L’Atelier Art Competition has announced its four top winners: three artists received the prestigious Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassador Awards and one South African artist received the Absa L’Atelier Art Gerard Sekoto Award.
Absa L’Atelier Art class 2026 winners
The winners were announced at the 2026 Absa L’Atelier Art & Lifestyle Fair, held at Waterfall City Park on Saturday, 10 October 2026, as Absa L’Atelier Art celebrates its 40th anniversary.
The four 2026 winners are:
Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassador Award Winners
Ghana: Reginald Boateng
Zambia: Emmanuel Chisenga
Nigeria: Segun Owolabi
Absa L’Atelier Art Gerard Sekoto Award Winner
South Africa: Treasure Mlima
Absa L’Atelier Art in partnership with the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (Sanava), is one of Africa’s leading Pan-African platforms for emerging visual artists. Since its establishment in 1986, the competition has given young artists across the continent a platform to develop their practices, gain international exposure, and connect with new audiences.
Celebrating 40 years of opening doors for emerging artists, the 2026 Absa L’Atelier Art competition attracted a record number of registrations and hundreds of eligible entries from artists across the 12 Absa African markets. An independent panel of adjudicators, appointed by the competition partners Absa and Sanava, assessed the works. IFAS and the Embassy of France in South Africa appoint adjudicators for the Gerard Sekoto Award separately.
Speaking about the 2026 class of Absa L’Atelier Art Award winners, Absa Group senior specialist in art and museum curator, Dr Paul Bayliss, said: “This year’s submissions brought an extraordinary depth of perspective, and the calibre of talent in this year’s competition was exceptional. The submissions demonstrated unique storytelling and emotional depth, while the winning artworks showcased both artistic mastery and remarkable technical skill. These four artists pushed their creative boundaries and sparked meaningful conversations amongst the adjudicators. They stood out as true representations of the vibrant future of art in Africa. As Absa L’Atelier Art celebrates 40 years of opening doors for emerging artists, we are proud to recognise these artists as our 2026 award winners and to give them a platform to share their brilliant work with the world.”
The three Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassador Award winners were selected from three competition groups:
Group A: Reginald Boateng from Ghana
Group B: Emmanuel Chisenga from Zambia
Group C: Segun Owolabi from Nigeria
This year’s awards also marked a significant milestone, with Zambia receiving its first-ever Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassador Award since the competition’s group structure was introduced in 2019.
Each Absa L’Atelier Art Ambassador Award winner receives the opportunity to host a solo exhibition, with Absa contributing R100,000 towards material costs for the exhibition, art masterclasses from leading global authorities that specialize in arts. A new laptop or equivalent with Windows and an MS Office package installed. The Ambassadors will get the opportunity to receive a four-month mentorship with a leading authority in the visual arts from their respective country.
The Absa L’Atelier Art Gerard Sekoto Award was presented to South African artist Treasure Mlima from Durban. Established 18 years ago, the award recognises a South African artist who has demonstrated integrity and excellence in the quality of their work. As part of the award, Mlima will undertake a three-month residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France, from April to June 2027, providing an opportunity to further develop their artistic practice and engage with the international art community. He will receive the opportunity to host a solo exhibition, with Absa contributing R100,000 towards material costs for the exhibition.
The Gerard Sekoto Award is made possible through the partnership between the Embassy of France in South Africa and IFAS – the cultural arm of the Embassy. Jean Spiri, head of cooperation at the Embassy of France in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi and director of IFAS, said: “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.” As the longest-standing partner of Absa L’Atelier Art, Sanava continues to play an important role in supporting the competition and its contribution to the development of visual arts across Africa.
National Secretary of Sanava, Ané du Plessis, said: “Sanava is proud to be the longest-standing partner of the Absa L’Atelier Art Awards, a platform that continues to create meaningful opportunities for emerging artists across the continent. The Awards play an important role in recognising artistic excellence, encouraging young artists to pursue their creative journeys, and opening doors to new opportunities and international exposure. We are delighted to celebrate this year’s talented artists and to be part of an initiative that contributes so significantly to the growth and development of the visual arts in Africa.”
The announcement of the 2026 winners formed part of the Absa L’Atelier Art & Lifestyle Fair, which brought together art, culture, lifestyle and live entertainment as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of Absa L’Atelier Art.
With this year’s competition now concluded, emerging artists across the continent are encouraged to start preparing for the next opportunity to enter the Absa L’Atelier Art Competition. Entries for the 2027 competition will open in March 2027 and close at the end of April 2027.
