Botswana artist Kelebogile Marope has been named the recipient of the 2026 FNB Art Prize, becoming the first artist from Botswana to receive the award.
Kelebogile Marope. (Image supplied)
The win marks a significant moment for Marope and Botswana’s contemporary art scene, recognising a practice that moves between sculpture, drawing and mixed media to explore how everyday spaces and objects can hold memories, identities and stories.
A milestone for Botswana’s art scene
Now in its 19th edition, FNB Art Joburg has positioned the FNB Art Prize as one of its key initiatives for supporting artists beyond the annual fair.
Marope becomes the 16th recipient of the prize, joining a list of artists that includes Thato Toeba, Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, Dada Khanyisa, Lady Skollie, Bronwyn Katz, Haroon Gunn-Salie, Peju Alatise, Nolan Oswald Dennis and Turiya Magadlela.
For Marope, the award is particularly significant as she becomes the first Botswana-based artist to take the prize.
Born in Ramotswa, Botswana, Marope completed a Bachelor of Fine Art and Master of Fine Art at Rhodes University. Her work has since been exhibited in Botswana and South Africa, with her multidisciplinary practice continuing to develop across sculpture, drawing and mixed media.
Turning the everyday into art
Marope’s work looks closely at the spaces and objects that surround us. Drawing inspiration from domestic environments and everyday materials, she explores how seemingly ordinary details can become connected to memory, identity and belonging.
Her process is deliberately considered, allowing familiar objects, surfaces and architectural elements to take on new meaning. The result is work that asks viewers to look again at the places they might otherwise take for granted.
The FNB Art Prize jury, comprising Kim Kandan, Mike Mavura and Véronique Savigné, praised Marope for bringing a fresh perspective to contemporary African sculpture.
“Kelebogile Marope's practice represents a compelling expansion of contemporary African sculpture,” the jury said.
“She claimed a traditionally male-dominated medium as her own, perfecting her craft with a level of skill and precision that set her work apart.”
The jury also highlighted her ability to push sculpture beyond convention, describing her practice as “deeply rooted in place and boldly imaginative”.
A growing platform for African artists
Marope’s win comes as FNB Art Joburg continues to use the prize to spotlight artists from across the continent and expand the visibility of contemporary African art.
FNB Art Joburg director Mandla Sibeko says the prize is intended to recognise artists who are contributing to the conversations shaping contemporary African art.
“Each year, the FNB Art Prize recognises an artist whose practice expands the conversations shaping contemporary African art,” says Sibeko.
“Kelebogile's work demonstrates a remarkable sensitivity to material, memory and lived experience, transforming the everyday into something profoundly resonant.”
He adds that Marope’s recognition as the first artist from Botswana to receive the prize highlights the depth of artistic talent emerging from across the continent.
FNB chief marketing officer Linda Kachingwe-Sisya congratulated Marope, describing her work as “deeply personal and universally resonant” and highlighting its ability to connect audiences with ideas of place, memory and shared experience.
What comes next?
The prize comes with more than the recognition itself. As the 2026 FNB Art Prize recipient, Marope will receive a cash prize and the opportunity to stage a solo exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2027, home to the largest art collection on the continent.
The exhibition will give audiences an opportunity to experience more of Marope’s evolving practice while bringing a Botswana artistic voice into a major South African cultural institution.
For FNB Art Joburg, the prize forms part of a longer-term effort to strengthen the contemporary African art ecosystem and create opportunities for artists to build sustainable careers.
For Marope, it is a career milestone, and a moment that puts Botswana’s contemporary art scene firmly in the spotlight.
