# Absa L'Atelier Art Competition

The Absa L'Atelier Art Competition is a South African annual art award for South African visual artists between the ages of 21 and 35. The competition is run in conjunction with the South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA).

## History

The art award was originally known as the Volkskas Bank Atelier Competition and was established in 1986 and kept this name up to 1998 (when Volkskas was incorporated into the Absa Group). From 1999 to 2001 the award was known as the Absa Atelier competition.
From 2004 the Gerard Sekoto award was added to the competition, to support the most promising artist taking part in the competition with an income of less than R60 000 per annum. This award is supported by the French Embassy, the French Institute and Alliance Française.
In the early 1980s SANAVA acquired three atelier apartments at the Cité internationale des arts from where the name Atelier Competition has its origin. These assets are held in trust in terms of an Occupational Rights Agreement by the SANAVA Cité des Arts Trust, valid until 22 March 2060.

## Previous winners and merit awards
### 1986

Winner Penny Siopis
Merit Award Winners Deborah Bell, Andrew Breebaart, Dennis Purvis and Simon Stone

### 1987

Winner Clive van den Berg
Merit Award Winners Andries Botha, Philippa Hobbs, Tommy Motswai and Karel Nel

### 1988

Winner Diane Victor
Merit Award Winners Kay Cowley, Guy du Toit, Johann Louw and Margaret Vorster

### 1989

Winner Hennie Stroebel
Merit Award Winners Caroline Jones, Walter Oltman, Giulio Tambellini and Jeremy Wafer

### 1990

Winner Barend de Wet
Merit Award Winners Andrew Breebaart, Jean Bruwer, Guy du Toit and Judy Woodborne

### 1991

Winner Virginia McKenny
Merit Award Winners Nicole Donald, Ruth Mileham, Johann van der Schijff and Pierre van der Westhuizen

### 1992

Winner Paul Edmunds
Merit Award Winners Wayne Barker, Marc Edwards, Dominic Thorburn and Minette Vári

### 1993

Winner Dominic Thorburn
Merit Award Winners Siemon Allen, Diek Grobler, Adam Letch and Russel Scott

### 1994

Winner Jonathan Comerford
Merit Award Winners Andrew Putter, Kevin Roberts, Henk Serfontein and Alastair Whitton

### 1995

Winner Kevin Roberts
Merit Award Winners Moses Ceywayo, Gordon Froud, Diek Grobler and Peet Pienaar

### 1996

Winner Isaac Khanyile
Merit Award Winners Hanneke Benadé, Wim Botha, Semkelo Bunu and Berco Wilsenach

### 1997

Winner Ilse Pahl
Merit Award Winners Lucas Bambo, Cecile Heystek, Kim Lieberman and Richardt Strydom

### 1998

Winner Karl Gietl
Merit Award Winners Wayne Barker, Hanneke Benadé, Jean Brundit and Peter Rippon

### 1999

Winner Ryan Arenson
Merit Award Winners Brad Hammond, Fritha Langerman, Albert Redelinghuys and Vanessa van Wyk

### 2000

Winner Brad Hammond
Merit Award Winners Joni Brenner Natasha Christopher, Colbert Mashile and Nigel Mullins

### 2001

Winner Stefanus Rademeyer
Merit Award Winners Marco Cianfanelli, Daniel Hirschman, Brent Meistre and Merryn Singer

### 2002

Winner Marco Cianfanelli
Merit Award Winners Natasha Christopher, Alastair McLachlan, Benninghoff Puren and James Webb

### 2003

Winner Sanell Aggenbach
Merit Award Winners Retha Bornmann, Natasha Christopher, Patricia Driscoll and Berco Wilsenach

### 2004

Winner Conrad Botes
Merit Award Winners Stephen Hobbs Pieter Hugo, Lize Muller and Robert Rich
Gerard Sekoto Award Winners Billie Zangewa

### 2005

Winner Berco Wilsenach
Merit Award Winners Katherine Bull, Lawrence Lemoaona, Patrice Mabasa and Mikhael Subotzky
Gerard Sekoto Winner Lawrence Lemoaona

### 2006

Winner Ruth Sachs
Merit Award Winners Nathani Lüneburg, Riason Naidoo, Anet Norval and James Webb
Gerard Sekoto Winner Nomusa Makhubu

### 2007

Winner Pierre Fouché
Merit Award Winners Nina Barnett, Wayne Matthews, Lyndi Sales and Jaco Spies
Gerard Sekoto Winner Nina Barnett

### 2008

Winner James Webb
Merit Award Winners Christiaan Hattingh, Lunga Kama, Alhyrian Laue and Antonia Steyn
Gerard Sekoto Winner Retha Ferguson

### 2009

Winner Stephen Rosin

### 2010

Winner Ilka van Schalkwyk
Merit Award Winners Abri de Swardt, Philiswa Lila, Collen Maswanganyi and Hanje Whitehead.
Gerard Sekoto Winner Bongumenzi Ngobese

### 2012

Winner Elrie Joubert
Merit Award Winners Sibiya Bambo, Mandy Johnston, Heidi Janice Mielke and Nina Liebenberg
Gerard Sekoto Winner Sibiya Bambo

### 2013

Winner Pauline Gutter
Merit Award Winners Kathleen Sawyer and Jaco Van Schalkwyk
Gerard Sekoto Winner Mongezi Ncaphayi

### 2014

Winner Liberty Battson
Merit Award Winners Bevan de Wet and Luyanda Zindela
Gerard Sekoto Winner Mbavhalelo Nekhavhambe

### 2015

Winner Kai Losgott
Merit Award Winners Gideon Appah (non South African prize from Ghana), Nina Kruger and Nelmarie du Preez
Gerard Sekoto Winner Natalie Moore