Her winning work, We Follow the Lead of Our Own, is a richly layered embroidered tapestry that reimagines a 1950s photograph of a chieftaincy procession in Accra.
Through its intricate stitching, the piece transforms an archival image into a celebration of cultural memory, sovereignty and collective identity.
Presented by Standard Bank, the fifth edition of the prize brought together 29 finalists, with the winning work selected by an international panel of five judges who travelled to South Africa to assess the entries in person.
Benissan was nominated by Sandrine Colard, associate professor of African Art History at Rutgers University. Her wider practice explores the histories and symbolism of chieftaincy, using sculpture, installation, photography, film and embroidered tapestries to revisit archival images.
A recurring feature in her work is the royal umbrella – a symbol of protection and power. In We Follow the Lead of Our Own, she uses layered stitching to give new life to a historical procession, shifting the photograph from a record of the past into something more monumental.
Judge Azu Nwagbogu praised the work’s painterly quality, noting its layered colours, tonal transitions and carefully composed figures. The panel also recognised Benissan’s distinctive visual language and inventive use of form.
South African artist Mellaney Roberts was awarded the Famm Women’s Prize, worth $5,000, as the highest-scoring female artist outside the Grand Prize winner.
Her work, What the Land Remembers, explores identity, memory, land and lineage. Roberts said the recognition carried significance beyond her own artistic journey, representing the stories and experiences of her community in the Baviaanskloof.
She hopes the award will encourage young women from the area to pursue their ambitions and see a place for themselves in the arts and other fields.
The full exhibition of 29 shortlisted works will be open to the public at Magugu House at the Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel, from 21 November 2026 to 12 February 2027.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to vote for the Public Vote Prize, with online and in-person voting closing in late January.
The works are available to purchase through direct sale or a charity auction hosted by Bonhams in February 2027. Proceeds will be shared equally between the artists and the Sovereign Art Foundation, with the foundation’s share supporting art programmes for disadvantaged children through its charity partners: Jelly Beanz, Ikamva Labantu and Inceba Trust.
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