Yaa Asentawaa Art Prize: Africa’s First Award for Female Artists Emerges

Yaa Asentawaa Art Prize: Africa’s First Award for Female Artists Emerges

An art prize named after Ghana’s warrior queen, Yaa Asentawaa, has been launched in Accra to recognize African female artists and increase the visibility of art by female artists on the international scene.

Observing that works by artists of African descent haven’t been well represented in the exclusive world of art, platforms such as Aworanka, a Nigeria-based African art and art gallery aggregator website, have risen to take up the challenge of bridging this gap and draw international attention to the incredible diversity of artistic talent in Africa. Another such platform is Accra-based Gallery 1957 who has decided to contribute to the promotion of African art and artists by introducing the inaugural Yaa Asentawaa Art Prize

The name of the award is an homage to the queen mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire, now part of modern-day Ghana, Yaa Asantewaa (1840 – 1921) led the Ashanti war known as the “War of the Golden Stool” against British colonialism.

Launched to coincide with Gallery 1957’s fifth-anniversary celebrations, the inaugural prize is exclusively open to all female and self-identifying female artists based in Ghana or belonging to the Ghanaian diaspora. In the future, the organizers intend to expand the prize to include all African and African diaspora identifying artists.

The prize’s jury is well represented by notable personalities made up of notables comprising of art fairs and gallery directors, artists, collectors, and writers. They include Lebanese businessman and owner of Gallery 1957, Marwan Zakhem; the British writer and columnist, Afua Hirsch; the Ghanaian figurative painter, Amoako Boafo; the art collector Charlotte Newman; the director of the London Chisenhale Gallery, Zoe Whitley; the founder of 1-54 Art Fair, Touria El Glaoui; and the Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama.

Speaking on the necessity of the award, Marwan Zakhem, Founder of Gallery 1957, commented:

“Listening and working closely to our local community, we have identified a need to support particularly women artists in Ghana. In creating The Yaa Asantewaa Art Prize, we hope to offer a way in which to address the lack of existing support for women and women-identifying artists in the country and its diaspora. Beyond the financial support, the goal is to give participating shortlisted artists a platform for their work, and exposure worldwide.”

Prizes for the award are in three categories. The first prize is a monetary winning of GH₵40,000 ($7,000) plus Social media/digital marketing, four months’ artist’s residency (which includes an artist studio, art materials, stipend, and accommodations), and a solo show at Gallery1957 which will follow the residency. 

The second prize winner will receive GH₵20,000 ($3,500) with social media/digital marketing, while the third prize winner will receive GH₵15,000 ($2,500) social media/digital marketing.

Application for the 2021 Yaa Asentawaa Art Prize is now open and will close on 31 May 2021. The winner will be announced in August 2021.

The award is another initiative being undertaken this International Women's Day month that is inspired by a recognition that female artists in Africa are often restricted from being able to dedicate themselves to their practice in the way their male counterparts can, thus, more enabling programs need to be introduced to encourage the dedication of women in art.

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