BE OPEN Art congratulates the winners of the Regional Art Competition in Southern Africa

In October, Akissi Beukman was voted the Artist of the Month. Akissi is an artist based in Pretoria, South Africa. She specializes in performance art, experimental sound art and painting. She received her degree in Fine Arts with honours from Rhodes University in 2018.

Akissi Beukman's work is influenced by the notion of performativity, with a keen focus on how gender, race, and the surrounding political landscapes interact with and shape her body. Through her art, she communicates themes of spiritual healing through the transformative power of artistic expression. Akissi also became the Founders' personal favourite in the region of Southern Africa.

In November, the title was given to Aislinn Finnegan, a self-described "mixed media artist of mixed-race heritage." Aislinn's illustrations focus on concepts of race, identity, and femininity in an attempt to disseminate and celebrate aspects of black culture and beauty in a world dominated by "Western" concepts and aesthetics.

Natasha Mwila, a digital artist from Lusaka, Zambia, became the regional artist of December.  The digital mobile phone artist draws on her African heritage to create powerful collage art. Her work explores the social and political complexities of life, with a focus on amplifying marginalized voices, particularly women. Natasha's art serves as both a tribute to women's empowerment and a call for more inclusive, equitable societies.

Based on the general amount of votes, Aislinn Finnegan becomes the Artist of the Region for Southern Africa, and will now be awarded with a €500 grant.

In 2025, the competition will start in South Asia to discover emerging artists from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. An important development in the programme is that the artist that receives the Founder's recognition will also be awarded a money prize. "We hope that these additional resources will support our emerging artists in their continued pursuit of a successful career in the arts," said Elena Baturina. "We want to empower artists to keep dreaming, to keep creating, and to keep following their hearts".

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