The winning portrait of the Rust-en-Vrede Portrait Award competition was announced at the gala opening at Rust-en-Vrede Art Gallery in Durbanville on Friday evening.
Malik Mani, from Upington, is at 27 years the youngest winner yet of this competition. His winning entry, titled “Mask”, was created with pencil on paper. An emotional Mani received prize money of R150 000 cash.
Best portrait in drawing medium
Ruan Huisamen of Durbanville received the Ryno Swart Drawing Medal for his work titled “Adolescent in blue”. The work has been created in charcoal and pastel on paper. It was awarded to the best portrait done in a drawing medium as selected by the judges.
Established in 2013 and held every two years, the award has become one of South Africa’s most respected portrait competitions.
National touring show
A total of 100 entries were selected from 635 entries from all over the country. The Top 40 art works will be exhibited at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery until 29 October. The Top 40 finalists will also be featured in a group exhibition and included in a national touring show.
The 60 remaining artworks will be displayed as PORTRAIT 100 at the Spier Arts Trust Union House in Cape Town.
“This year saw the most vehement adjudication week in the history of the Portrait Award,” says Hamlin Jansen van Vuuren, senior curator at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery.
“Strong and diverse opinions led to a strong and diverse selection with each of the Top 5 art works having been rendered in a different medium. The judges were however unanimous in their election of the Top 5,” she says.
Youngest winner
The winner, Mani, is not only the youngest winner yet, but it was also the first time that the top honours have been awarded to a portrait in a drawing medium,
The Rust-en-Vrede Gallery will on application assist Mani in entering the next UK Portrait Award competition, held by the National Portrait Gallery in London. Mani’s winning artwork will feature on the cover of the 2027 portrait award catalogue.
He will also be invited to present a solo exhibition at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery.
Ballpoint pen
The second prize of R30 000 was won by Ashley Ogilvie from Bakoven with “Wherever we are, we are here” in oil on aluminium. The third prize of R20 000 was won by Joseph Dolby from Stellenbosch with his work titled “Robyn” in acrylic on canvas.
In fourth place was Themba Mkhangeli from Delft with “Meditation”in ballpoint pen on paper. Monique Day-Wilde from Pringle Bay was fifth with her hand-stitched work of her late husband on his old handcherchiefs. The work titled “Wish you were here”” was done with cotton thread on cotton fabric.
Heidi Botha from Upington won the Italian Art Shop prize.
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