Kelebogile Marope has been named the recipient of the 2026 FNB Art Prize, becoming the first artist from Botswana to receive the award.
The announcement was made ahead of the 19th edition of FNB Art Joburg, which positions the prize as part of its longer-term commitment to supporting and developing contemporary African art beyond the annual fair.
Marope works across sculpture, drawing and mixed media, with a practice centred on the relationship between memory, identity and the spaces people inhabit. Drawing from domestic environments and everyday materials, her work considers how ordinary objects, surfaces and architectural details can become repositories of lived experience.
The 2026 FNB Art Prize jury, comprising Kim Kandan, Mike Mavura and Véronique Savigné, praised Marope’s expansion of contemporary African sculpture and her approach to a traditionally male-dominated medium.
“Kelebogile Marope’s practice represents a compelling expansion of contemporary African sculpture,” the jury said. “She claimed a traditionally male-dominated medium as her own, perfecting her craft with a level of skill and precision that set her work apart.”
The jury also highlighted the way Marope’s work balances a strong sense of place with an imaginative approach to sculpture, describing her practice as possessing a distinctive material language and fresh perspective.
Born in Ramotswa, Botswana, Marope completed a Bachelor of Fine Art followed by a Master of Fine Art at Rhodes University. She has exhibited across Botswana and South Africa while continuing to develop her multidisciplinary practice.
Her win represents a significant moment for Botswana’s contemporary art scene, placing an artist from the country within a prize that has previously recognised artists including Dada Khanyisa, Lady Skollie, Bronwyn Katz, Haroon Gunn-Salie, Peju Alatise, Nolan Oswald Dennis, Turiya Magadlela, Portia Zvahera, Nelisiwe Xaba, Kudzanai Chiurai and Cedric Nunn.
As part of the prize, Marope will receive a cash award as well as a solo exhibition at Johannesburg Art Gallery, home to the continent’s largest art collection. The exhibition is scheduled to take place in 2027.
Mandla Sibeko, director of FNB Art Joburg, said Marope’s recognition reflects the depth of artistic talent emerging across the continent.
“Each year, the FNB Art Prize recognises an artist whose practice expands the conversations shaping contemporary African art,” Sibeko said. “Kelebogile’s work demonstrates a remarkable sensitivity to material, memory and lived experience, transforming the everyday into something profoundly resonant.”
The 2026 FNB Art Prize adds another chapter to FNB Art Joburg’s effort to support artistic careers beyond the traditional art fair model. For Marope, it also marks a particularly significant milestone as she becomes the first Botswana-based artist to receive the prize, bringing further attention to the country’s contemporary art landscape.
FNB Art Joburg’s 2026 edition will continue its programme of supporting galleries, artists, collectors, curators and cultural practitioners while creating opportunities for engagement with contemporary African art.
For more information, visit FNB Art Joburg’s website.
