Young Ghanaian female artist, Priscilla Kennedy who uses her art work to fight gender stereotypes was among top winners at this year’s L’Atelier art awards held in Johannesburg, South Africa, a report received here on Thursday has said.
Kennedy, a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Fine Arts student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana received the first Merit Award for her untitled 2016 work which takes a jab at the social stereotype that women are tools of seduction, the release from Barclays Africa added.
The L’Atelier art awards sponsored by Barclays Africa and South African National Association for the Visual Arts (SANAVA) hosted in the Absa Gallery is South Africa’s most prestigious Arts competition held for artists between the ages of 21 and 35.
For her awards, Kennedy won a three-month residency at The Bag Factory Artists’ Studios in Johannesburg, a return flight to Johannesburg, and a monthly stipend.
‘This body of work depicts an embroidered female figure in pink underwear on a forest green keffiyeh (scarf), trying to hold both hands at her back – this may seem impossible but she still tries. This takes a jab at the social stereotype that women are tools of seduction,” the young artist explained about her award winning work (quotes from http://creativefeel.co.za)
She explained that there is this kind of sacredness that the piece may seem profane but it’s not only the profanity that the work portrays but also the sacredness of this particular headdress.
With the kind of iconography and paradox that comes into the work, it’s literally giving women visibility through both the work’s medium and its artistic technique, considering the contradictory nature of both materials. Added the artist.
“This work of art renders a two dimensional view; the front which may be perceived as accomplished and the back that looks loose,” she added.
Maral Bolouri of Kenya took top honors and was awarded the main prize, and Banele Khoza of South Africa walked away with the Gerard Sekoto Award which entered its 32nd year in 2917.
Among the Top 10 finalists in this year’s L’Atelier also included another Ghanaian Bright Ackwerh (Ghana,Selfication). Enditem
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