Kelebogile Marope Wins 2026 FNB Art Prize for Contemporary African Art
Kelebogile Marope has been named the winner of the prestigious 2026 FNB Art Prize, placing the visual artist at the centre of one of the continent’s most significant contemporary art platforms.
The announcement comes ahead of the 19th edition of FNB Art Joburg, Africa’s longest-running contemporary art fair, and marks another milestone in the long-standing partnership between First National Bank (FNB) and the annual event.
For Marope, the recognition comes as her distinctive artistic practice continues to examine the connections between memory, identity and the spaces people inhabit.
Working across sculpture, drawing and mixed media, the artist transforms everyday materials and domestic environments into reflections on lived experience. Objects and architectural details that might otherwise go unnoticed become vessels for personal histories and collective memory.
Her approach is deliberately process-led, allowing familiar surroundings to take on new meaning.
Jury Praises Marope’s Approach to Sculpture
The 2026 FNB Art Prize jury, comprising FNB Art Joburg representative Kim Kandan, curator Mike Mavura, and interior designer and art collector Véronique Savigné, praised Marope’s technical ability and the originality of her practice.
In a joint statement, the jury described her work as a compelling development in contemporary African sculpture.
They also highlighted the significance of Marope establishing herself in a medium that has historically been dominated by men.
The jury said her technical skill and precision distinguished her work, while her ability to challenge conventional ideas around sculpture demonstrated the strength of her artistic vision.
According to the jury, Marope’s practice manages to remain deeply connected to place while embracing an imaginative approach to the possibilities of sculpture.
Marope Joins Distinguished List of FNB Art Prize Winners
Marope becomes the 16th recipient of the FNB Art Prize, joining a distinguished group of artists whose work has contributed to the development and international visibility of contemporary African art.
Previous recipients include Thato Toeba, Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, Dada Khanyisa and Lady Skollie.
The prize has become an important platform for recognising artists whose work pushes creative boundaries while reflecting the diverse experiences and perspectives emerging from the continent.
For emerging and established artists alike, such recognition can provide an important bridge between local artistic communities and international audiences.
FNB Reaffirms Commitment to African Creative Talent
The annual prize forms part of the long-running partnership between FNB and Art Joburg, which aims to support artistic talent and strengthen the continent’s creative economy.
FNB Chief Marketing Officer Linda Kachingwe-Sisya congratulated Marope on the achievement, describing her work as both personal and widely relatable.
“Her work is both deeply personal and universally resonant, demonstrating the power of art to connect us to place, memory, and one another,” Kachingwe-Sisya said.
She said the partnership with Art Joburg had, for almost two decades, focused on nurturing African talent and creating opportunities for artists to gain wider recognition.
The bank, she added, was proud to support platforms that amplify African stories, invest in creative excellence and contribute to the future of contemporary African art on the global stage.
A Different Way of Looking at Everyday Life
Marope’s winning work will be presented at this year’s FNB Art Joburg, where visitors will have an opportunity to engage directly with the ideas that shape her practice.
Her work invites audiences to look again at familiar spaces, objects and everyday rituals, encouraging them to consider how ordinary surroundings can carry memories and shape identity.
That ability to transform the familiar into something contemplative lies at the heart of Marope’s artistic language.
As she takes her place among previous FNB Art Prize winners, the recognition represents more than an individual accolade. It also reflects the growing influence of contemporary African artists who are using sculpture, mixed media and other forms to explore stories of place, belonging and memory.
For Marope, the 2026 FNB Art Prize offers another stage from which to ask a deceptively simple question: what memories are hidden in the spaces and objects we encounter every day?
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