Otobong Nkanga wins 8th Yanghyun Art Prize

Otobong Nkanga, a Nigerian, has become the first African to win the Korean Yanghyun Foundation Artist Award. The award was presented in Seoul, Korea. She will receive 100 million won ($86,300) and an opportunity to hold a solo exhibition at any chosen museum around the world, as part of her prize for winning the award.

She was selected for her outstanding creativity in media and motivational photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, installation and video.

“I am happy to be here, honored and extremely overwhelmed to receive this prize. And I am very proud to represent my continent and my country Nigeria,” said Nkanga at the award ceremony. “It’s an amazing thing to imagine that my work is recognized in Korea, on the other side in the Eastern part of the world.”

Born in Nigeria, Nkanga currently lives and works in Antwerp, Belgium. She has held exhibitions at renowned art institutions, including Stedelijk museum in Amsterdam, Sharjah Biennial and Tate Modern.

The Yanghyun Prize was established in 2008 as the first international art prize by a Korean institution. Past recipients include Akram Zaatari, a Lebanese (2011), Abraham Cruzvillegas, a Mexican (2012), Rivane Neuenschwander, Brasil (2013) and Apitchapong Weerasethakul, also a Lebanese (2014).

For for information, head over to Premium Times.

Here are a couple of her artwork, as provided by Otobong Nkanga on her website.