Kelebogile Marope Wins the 2026 FNB Art Prize

Botswana-born sculptor Kelebogile Marope has won the 2026 FNB Art Prize, becoming the first artist from Botswana to receive the award. The announcement was made in Johannesburg on 12 August, ahead of FNB Art Joburg's 19th edition in September.

Born in Ramotswa, Marope completed a Bachelor of Fine Art followed by a Master of Fine Art at Rhodes University. She works across sculpture, drawing and mixed media, drawing on domestic environments and everyday materials — the ordinary objects, surfaces and architectural details that hold lived experience. The prize jury described her practice as “a compelling expansion of contemporary African sculpture”, and credited her with claiming ground in a medium still largely dominated by men.

The award carries a cash prize and a solo exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2027. Previous recipients include Lady Skollie, Dada Khanyisa, Lindokuhle Sobekwa and Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude — a list that has become a fair indicator of where Southern African contemporary practice is heading.

The fair itself ran from 4 to 6 September at the Sandton Convention Centre, timed to Johannesburg's 140th year. More than 100 artists showed across eight curated sections, among them ARC, a new section given over to solo presentations. Paulo Nazareth's Indlela, a car filled with amadumbe, and George Mahashe's camera obscura installation drew particular attention, while BMW Art Generation took over the MAX section for the first time.

For artists working in Southern Africa, the prize remains one of the few awards that converts recognition into an institutional platform. Marope's exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery next year will be the measure of it, and the clearest reason to keep her name in view.