Jozi Journeys
Rust-en-Vrede Portrait Awards Top 40 Tour Launches in Johannesburg
Celebrating Contemporary Portraiture: Top 40 Tour Kicks Off
The Rust-en-Vrede Portrait Awards Top 40 Tour launched in Johannesburg on 6 November at Aspire Art, set against the lively backdrop of First Thursdays on the Keyes Art Mile. Featuring works by artists from across South Africa, the national tour will travel to three provinces, bringing the country’s leading contemporary portraiture to a wider audience.
Founded in 2013, the Rust-en-Vrede Portrait Awards is a biennial competition celebrating South Africa’s portrait artists. The Awards invite submissions of original two-dimensional portraits from oil and mixed media to realism and abstraction; the finalists offer a vivid snapshot of contemporary identity and artistic talent.
This year’s winner, Malik Mani, was announced at a gala evening at the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery on 29 August for his hyper-realistic drawing Mask, earning R150 000 and a solo exhibition at Rust-en-Vrede in 2027. Joining him in the Top Three are Ashley Ogilvy (second place) and Joseph Dolby (third place), both from the Western Cape. Alongside these works, over 60 portraits from the Top 100 were on display at Spier Arts Trust’s Union House in Cape Town from August to October 2025.
Image 1: Malik Mani with his artwork during the 2025 Portrait Award opening Gala
Image 2: Ashley Ogilvy with her artwork during the 2025 Portrait Award opening Gala
Image 3: Joseph Dolby with his artwork during the 2025 Portrait Award opening Gala
The Top 40 Tour: From Johannesburg to the Nation
Now it’s time for the rest of South Africa to experience that artistic talent first-hand. The Top 40 finalists, showcasing the country’s vibrant diversity and creativity in portraiture, kick off their national tour in Johannesburg before moving on to KwaZulu-Natal’s KZNSA Gallery and finishing in Bloemfontein.
It’s a rare opportunity for an exhibition of this scale to travel across the country. The tour’s goal is simple but significant: to celebrate South Africa’s artistic talent and give audiences in different provinces the chance to experience these portraits in person. Together, the Portrait Awards and the Top 40 Tour highlight the value of showcasing homegrown creativity while reaffirming portraiture’s enduring power to tell stories.
“Portraiture has a unique ability to connect with people on a deeply human level,” explains Donavan Mynhardt, Curator at Rust-en-Vrede Gallery. “You don’t have to be an art connoisseur to engage with it. I’m excited that the Top 40 Tour will allow audiences across the country to experience these works first-hand and share in that connection.”
Johannesburg hosted the launch of the Portrait Awards Top 40 Tour on 6 November 2025 at Aspire Art. Taking place during First Thursdays on the Keyes Art Mile, the evening offers visitors a chance to explore the portraits up close, meet some of the artists, and enjoy a lively, art-filled night with drinks, snacks, and the vibrant buzz of the city’s creative scene.
The exhibition will remain on view at Aspire Art until January 2026, giving Johannesburg audiences an extended chance to experience the Top 40 works from this year’s Portrait Awards, each offering a unique perspective on the human form and identity.
Founded in 2016, Aspire Art is one of South Africa’s leading contemporary art platforms, with galleries in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Renowned for its commitment to modern and contemporary African art, Aspire connects collectors, artists, and audiences through exhibitions, auctions, and special projects. Its partnership with the Portrait Awards reflects a shared vision: to champion South African art, support both emerging and established talent, and foster a dynamic, inclusive art community.
That shared vision is something Aspire Art’s CEO and Senior Art Specialist, Marelize van Zyl, says lies at the heart of their collaboration “At Aspire Art, we’re proud to support the incredible breadth of artistic talent in South Africa. Partnering with the Portrait Awards and hosting the Johannesburg leg of the Top 40 Tour allows us to celebrate diverse voices and share the exceptional skill and creativity of local artists with wider audiences.”
Image 4: Lauryn Arnott’s ‘Born Free’
The Top 40 Tour Artists
From the Eastern Cape: Baxolise Hanise. From the Free State: Richard Bollers and Danielle Pretorius-van Wyk. From Gauteng: Lauryn Arnott, Matthew Blackburn, Lena Hugo, Zelnari Lourens, Terry Mabuni, Aubrey Monamodi, Dee Rudram-Ellis, and Lindie van der Merwe. From KwaZulu-Natal: Senzelw’umusa Mathe and Gary McIver. From Mpumalanga: Elmarie Smuts. From the Northern Cape: Heidi Botha and Malik Mani. From the Western Cape: Hannah Anderson, Tiffany Baxter, Marinda Combrinck, Monique Day-Wilde, Christelle du Plessis, Jeanette Du Plessis, Joseph Dolby, Ruan Huisamen, James Labuschagne, Donna McKellar, Themba Mkhangeli, Nabeel Monier, Ashley Ogilvy, Tiffany Onderstall, Elsire Roos, Penny Simpson, Rene Snyman, Tessa Smit, Michelle Solomon, Sebastiaan Theart, and Shany van den Berg.
Visit www.rust-en-vrede.com for more information about the Top 40 finalists, the exhibitions, and the Portrait Award.
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Featured Image: Supplied
