Oboro, Kazeem- Kamin? ski Emerge 2022 Access ART X Prize Winners
ART X, a leading cultural and creative platform, on Friday, announced winners of its 2022/ 2023 Access Art X Prize. Keenly contested by artists from Africa and in the Diaspora, this year’s competition, which attracted thousands of applications from earlycareer artists resident in Nigeria and over 50 countries across the globe, had 10 finalists — five from Africa/ the Diaspora and the other five from Nigeria.
The finalists were Africa / Diaspora: Lois Arde- Acquah ( Ghana), Louisa Marajo ( France/ Martinique), Mallory Lowe Mpoka ( Canada), Yetunde Olagbaju ( United States) and Belinda Kazeem- Kaminski ( Viennabased), while Dafe Oboro, Kingsley Ayogu, Matthew Eguavoen, Neec Nonso and Tolulope Ami- Williams came from Nigeria.
Of these contestants, Dafe Oboro ( Nigeria) and Belinda Kazeem- Kaminski ( Africa/ Diaspora) emerged winners. According to the organisers, the two winners will get $ 10,000 grant for exhibition at 2023 ART X, Lagos; threemonth residency at Gasworks, London ( for the Nigeria winner) and Yinka Shonibare’s G. A. S. Foundation, Lagos ( for the Africa/ Diaspora winner) as well as a mentoring, support and cultural exchange opportunities.
Formerly open to only Nigerian artists, this edition had award for emerging artist from the rest of Africa and the Diaspora. This is to strengthen its commitment to bolster the careers of a broader range of artists of African descent.
Both artists were selected by an international jury that included art historian, artist and writer, Professor Peju Layiwola; multimedia artist, writer and founder of Angels and Muse, Victor Ehikhamenor; founder and artistic director of SAVVY Contemporary, Berlin and Sonsbeek 20– 24, Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung; founder and director of Tiwani Contemporary, Maria Varnava; artist, educator and curatorial director of the Javett Art Centre at the University of Pretoria ( JavettUP), Gabi Ngcobo; and director of Gasworks and Triangle Network, London, Alessio Antoniolli.
The Founder/ CEO of ART X, Tokini Peterside- Schwebig, said: “These two exceptional artists — Dafe and Belinda — who are unique in their perspectives, but united in their ambition to shift narratives about Africa and its global Diaspora. Our shared objective with Access Corporation, through this prize, is to reinforce emerging artists at this pivotal stage in their careers, and we aspire over time to build a core group of artists for Nigeria, Africa and the Diaspora, with the potential to become truly transformational, not just within the arts ecosystem, but within our broader communities at a social, national, continental and global level.