Bic Art Master Africa announces winners of the 2024 edition of its annual art competition
Nigerian artist Joseph Akpan emerged as the regional winner for this year's Bic Art Master Africa while South African artists Zolani Makibi and Nhlakanipho Mkhize came second and third respectively
BIC, a world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, the organiser of the Bic Art Master Africa, an annual ball pen art contest now in its sixth year, has announced the regional and national winners of this year’s edition of the contest.
With the theme; “Ubuntu Together (One Africa)” - an African philosophy that stresses our interdependence and shared humanity, this year’s edition called on artists to illustrate the strength found in community bonds and collective harmony.
Following the consideration of entries by an expert judging panel of Josué Comoe, Valérie MANOUVRIER, Alix Dufour, and Gayi Eric “Erimarz art,” Nigerian artist Joseph Akpan emerged as the regional winner for this year while South African artists Zolani Makibi and Nhlakanipho Mkhize came second and third respectively, according to the Art Master Africa website.
Akpan, who came first for his entry titled, “Stronger Together,” will receive a 2,000 USD cash prize, a personalised virtual gallery developed by BIC, and the chance of getting featured in the La BIC collection of Art, while Makibi and Mkhize, the second-place and third-place prize winners, will receive 1,000 USD and 500 USD cash prizes respectively.
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In addition to the regional winners, six national winners, who will each receive a 500 USD cash prize, were also announced. The national winners are Kaweesi Mesearch of Uganda, Zolani Makibi of South Africa, Joshua Makinde of Nigeria, Hassan Maachour of Egypt, Kouakou N’garan of Ivory Coast, and Emmanuel Wandera of Kenya.
“We are proud of running Art Master Africa for the sixth year in a row. The competition has come a long way, starting in South Africa in 2017 and expanding into the wider region. It has brought to life phenomenal talent from across the region and is a testament to our commitment to unleashing creativity using writing tools and living up to our vision of bringing simplicity and joy to everyday life through our products,” Gregory Alibaux, Art Master Africa custodian, and Marketing Director for Middle East and Africa at BIC, shared. “We continue to be in awe every year after seeing the submissions we receive from the region, and we are confident that we will continue to help more talent surface through this flagship competition.”
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Speaking on the artwork received, Gary Eric, one of the Judges, said, “The artworks we received are a testament to the incredible talent and creativity on the African continent. Each piece reflects artists' talents while connecting to the broader message of unity and harmony across African communities. As the judging panel, we were very impressed with this year's submissions.”
