Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize 2026
From the Margins to the Centre
Johannesburg | Awards Ceremony 21 April 2026
The 2026 Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize (BNAP) marks a significant milestone for one of South Africa’s most influential platforms supporting emerging artists. Presented by the BNAP Foundation in partnership with the JSE, this year’s edition unfolds under the theme From the Margins to the Centre, celebrating ten years of elevating young visual artists within the country’s cultural landscape.
The awards evening takes place on Monday 21 April 2026 at the JSE in Sandton, where the winning artist will be announced during a ceremony accompanied by live jazz and a reception. The evening will also include the presentation of the JSE Art Acquisition Award, recognising an artist selected for inclusion in the JSE’s permanent collection.
Founded by artist Blessing Ngobeni, the annual prize supports artists under the age of 35 working across all visual media. The winning artist receives a comprehensive professional development package including a three-month residency at Ellis House Art Building, mentorship from leading industry figures, production funding, and a solo exhibition at Everard Read Gallery.
An exhibition of the 2026 finalists will open at the JSE in Sandton on 21 April 2026, offering audiences the opportunity to engage with a diverse range of contemporary practices shaping South Africa’s next generation of artists. A public walkabout is scheduled for 16 May 2026 (date to be confirmed).
2026 Finalists
The ten artists selected as finalists represent a wide spectrum of contemporary practices:
- Andries Mpho Moroaswe – printmaker and dip-pen artist exploring generational memory and oral histories.
- Drashti Naik – collage artist investigating diaspora, alienation, and belonging.
- Jakinda Boya – painter examining social and psychological states through the human figure.
- James Ndlovu – printmaker engaging with identity, heritage, and migration.
- Kamogelo Mosehla – visual artist exploring collective histories of displacement.
- Kgothatso Mokale – textile artist addressing queer visibility and empowerment.
- Khakhalethu Gxiya – painter probing identity and liminal states through gestural abstraction.
- Sagwadi Mohlabi – textile artist whose punch-needled works celebrate joy and resistance.
- Silindokuhle Shandu – multidisciplinary artist examining identity and belonging.
- Siyambonga Magwentshu – painter portraying community life and resilience.
