With the 2023 Portrait Award Top 40 artworks fresh off the touring exhibition, eyes are now set on the next iteration of this national competition, open to entrants online from 5 June to 14 June 2025.
Since its inauguration in 2013, the Portrait Award has been fostering a love for the genre amongst the art-loving public for over 10 years. Due to its popularity, as well as the high standard of entries received each year, the competition has grown from an initial 40 finalists and 1 winner, to showcasing 100 of the best portraits, as well as the inclusion of a Top 5. This year has also seen the talents displayed by our youth via the introduction of the Junior Portrait Award, open to 16- to 18-year-olds from all over South Africa.
Andre Serfontein with his 2023 Winning Portrait
2023 1st place Andre Serfontein, The Prince and Princess of Prince Street
Besides the monetary prizes (First prize of R 150 000, Second Prize of R 30 000 and Third Prize of R 20 000), the winner receives an opportunity to present a solo exhibition at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum the following year, and finalists can look forward to their work being shown as part of the Top 40 exhibition, Portrait 100 exhibition, and the national travelling exhibition in 2026.
Artists are encouraged to start working on their winning portraits to stand a chance to join the ranks of previous winners Heather Gourlay-Conyngham (2013), John Pace (2015), Kate Arthur (2017), Craig Cameron-Mackintosh (2019), Felicity Bell (2021) and André Serfontein (2023). Serfontein, as the most recent winner, will be presenting his solo exhibition at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery + Clay Museum, opening on 24 May 2025.
Artists planning on entering in 2025 can familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations, available on the gallery’s website – www.rust-en-vrede.com
2023, 2021 and 2019 Portrait Award Winners
2019 Winning Portrait_Lesala in Silhouette by Craig Cameron Mackintosh
2017 Winning portrait by Kate Arthur | Gemma and Felix
2015 Winner John Pace with his winning portrait After the Match
2013 Winner Heather Gourlay Conyngham in her studio
2021 Winner Felicity Bell with Winning Portrait Khulani d. February 2021