Absa L’Atelier Competition 2026 – YOA

Deadline: May 31, 2026

Applications are open for the Absa L’Atelier Competition 2026. In partnership with SANAVA, the Absa L’Atelier is an annual artwork competitors that has been serving to younger visible artists from throughout 12 nations in Africa to take their artwork to a wider viewers, develop their artwork careers, and finally acquire the popularity they deserve.

Together with the French Institute of South Africa and the French Embassy in South Africa, additionally they honour 21 years of L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award, particularly for South African artists. As of 11 October 2025, the Absa L’Atelier successful artists joined the ranks of profitable Absa L’Atelier alumni who, since successful the award, have efficiently launched their artwork careers.

Prizes

There are two units of prizes for the 2026 Absa L’Atelier Award winners:

• The most important prize, which is awarded to the three Absa L’Atelier Ambassadors; and
• The second prize, which is the Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award, for a South African entrant who continues to show development of their artwork manufacturing.

Main Prize

The winners will take up their prizes concurrently. The winner (Ambassador) from every of the three teams will obtain the next:

• A brand new laptop computer or equal with Windows and an MS Office package deal put in.
• A complete of 11 two-hour masterclasses, both just about or in-particular person, from main world authorities over a 3-month interval from May to July 2027.
• A 4-month mentorship with a number one authority within the visible arts from their respective nation. The mentorship programme will happen from June to September 2027.
• The 12 months after being awarded the prize, a concurrent two-month worldwide residency with the Kromdraai Impact Hub in South Africa in 2027. The residency programme runs from 11 May to 11 July 2027. While in residency, the three Ambassadors:
  • Will be launched to South Africa’s artwork and cultural scene;
  • Have the choice to provide an art work that can be transformed into an NFT; and
  • Produce a restricted physique of artworks for a pop-up exhibition on the final weekend of their residency.
• The choice to host a solo exhibition inside two years of successful the award (i.e. those that win in 2026, must exhibit by 2028). The exhibition will happen within the artist’s home nation, on the Absa Gallery or at another venue as selected by Absa and its companions. The Ambassador attends the exhibition opening and is awarded as much as R100 000 for materials prices in the direction of the exhibition. All artworks should be obtainable on the market with the vast majority of the proceeds going to the artist.

The masterclasses, mentoring and residency are to happen in 2027, as per the dates indicated above.

Gerard Sekoto Award

The Absa L’Atelier Gerard Sekoto Award is open to any South African artist aged between 25 and 35 years. This award is made attainable by IFAS and the French Embassy in South Africa, in partnership with Absa and SANAVA. To qualify, an entrant should be a everlasting South African citizen and be completely residing in South Africa.

The award contains:

• A 3-month residency, from April to June in 2027, on the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France, together with return airfare from South Africa to Paris, a day by day stipend whereas in Paris and return transport between the artist’s place of residence in South Africa and the airport.
• A solo exhibition with a accomplice gallery in Johannesburg in 2028. Absa will cowl the fabric and framing prices for this exhibition as much as a most worth of R100 000.
• Three digital masterclasses, protecting:
  • Mental wellness: Understanding psychological well being and the right way to take care of it;
  • Financial wellness: Budgeting and managing your funds; and
  • Legal wellbeing: The significance of contracts, wills and trusts.

Eligibility

• The competitors is open to all artists who aren’t youthful than 21 and never older than 40 on 31 March 2026. In the case of artwork college students, solely closing-12 months college students who meet the age necessities could take part.
• All prize winners can be required to take up the prize as per the date talked about within the entry particulars.
• Only artists who’re residents or have been granted everlasting residency and are completely residing in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, Botswana, Uganda, Mozambique, Mauritius, the Seychelles, Tanzania, Nigeria or Namibia could enter the competitors.
• All airfares to an artist’s exhibition opening and/or residency kinds part of their prize and is simply from and again to their resident nation. If they should journey from some other location, they’d be accountable for paying ggthe difference in what it will have price to fly them from their home nation.
• If info isn’t captured precisely on the system and any info is lacking from the web registration, the entrant will robotically be disqualified.

Application

Click here to apply

For extra info, go to Absa L’Atelier Competition.