Western Cape artists shine as top 40 finalists in the 2025 Portrait Awards

TWENTY-one Western Cape artists have been named among the Top 40 finalists for the highly anticipated 2025 Portrait Award.

- STAFF REPORTER

The biennial awards showcase the boldest and most compelling portraiture in South Africa today. From oil to mixed media, realism to abstraction, these artists offer a striking snapshot of contemporary identity and talent.

The Western Cape finalists are Hannah Anderson, Tiffany Baxter, Marinda Combrinck, Monique Day-Wilde, Christelle du Plessis, Jeanette Du Plessis, Joseph Dolby, Ruan Hui-samen, 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.

Their work will be on public display at the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery and Clay Museum, alongside the other finalists, in Durbanville from August 30 to October 29.

The 7th edition of the Portrait Awards invited artists from across South Africa to submit original, two-dimensional portraits for a chance to secure a solo exhibition.

Donavan Mynhardt, curator at the Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, said: “The judging process was incredibly meticulous, and what excited us most this year was the number of new mediums and approaches we saw.