May 15, 2025

Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona
ыExhibition of the African Women in Art Award 2024 Winners and Finalists-
Opening on May 15-25, 2025, at 19:00 at Reial Cercle Artístic de Barcelona, this special exhibition celebrates the winners and finalists of the African Women in Art Award (AWAA) 2024 — an international visual art award created to showcase the outstanding talent of women artists from Sub-Saharan Africa.
The award aims to highlight the ongoing inequalities in access to education and creative professions for girls and women across the continent. Through the AWAA and related initiatives, the goal is to help close this gap by supporting and promoting powerful new voices in art — voices that can inspire and lead future generations.
The exhibition brings together works that explore identity, heritage, contemporary realities, and personal stories. It offers a unique opportunity to see Africa through the eyes of its women artists — bold, diverse, and deeply creative.
Artists
Information
Сontact for purchase:
+34 630 36 34 27
awaaapplication@gmail.com
You can pay
Project team:
  • Yanina Dubeykovskaya, The African Women in Art Award founder
  • Natalia Shustova, exhibition curator, art historian
  • Ekaterina Voskoboynikova, producer
  • Taisia Konstantinova, art expert
  • Ekaterina Dubeykovskaya, The African Women in Art Award brand designer
Aislinn Finnegan
Aislinn Finnegan is a versatile illustrator with a passion for mixed media, seamlessly blending digital and physical techniques, including textiles, screen printing, and painting.

Specializing in portraiture, she utilizes the color black to highlight the beauty, strength, and depth of Black identity. Her striking compositions feature bold contrasts, where vibrant colors both clash and harmonize with dominant black tones, creating powerful visual narratives.
Originally trained as a textile artist during her undergraduate studies, Aislinn later shifted her focus to illustration. She embarked on a freelance career during her postgraduate years, working on illustration projects while exploring branding and UI/UX design. This interdisciplinary approach continues to shape her artistic vision.

Aislinn later pursued a Master’s degree in the History of Art, further enriching her work with a deep understanding of artistic traditions and cultural narratives. Her art reflects a dynamic fusion of heritage, contemporary expression, and a commitment to storytelling through visual media.
"I’ve got you, you’ve got me"
50 x 50 cm
Canvas, print

€320
Marina Ikoku
Marina Ikoku – Artist and Jury Member of the African Women in Art Award

Marina Ikoku is a contemporary Afro-Russian artist from St. Petersburg and a distinguished member of the jury for the African Women in Art Award (AWAA). Born in Leningrad to a Nigerian-Russian family, Ikoku combines a rich multicultural heritage with a strong academic foundation in art.
Her work is known for its bold color palette, symbolic depth, and emotional resonance. Drawing from both African and Russian artistic traditions, Ikoku creates powerful visual narratives that explore themes of life, joy, strength, and freedom. Her paintings are filled with movement, texture, and meaning — each one telling a story rooted in personal observation and cultural reflection.
Beyond her artistic practice, she is an active cultural ambassador, working to strengthen ties between Russia and Africa through art and creative dialogue.
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"POLITICS Diptych", 2015

we are few, but we are greater (left)
we are many, but we are smaller (right)

fabric, acrylic painting
140 × 280 cm

€1680

«One of the main signs of happiness and harmony is the complete absence of the need to prove anything to anyone.»
— Nelson Mandela
"BARRACUDAS diptych", 2015
fabric, acrylic painting
140 × 140 cm

€840

«The market is an ocean. Some companies are like barracudas, others like plankton. Try not to be plankton.»
— Warren Buffett
Natasha Mwila
Natasha Mwila is a 24-year-old digital artist from Lusaka, Zambia, whose work harmoniously blends the traditions of African heritage with contemporary artistic techniques. Inspired by social and political realities, Natasha strives to create visual narratives that unite cultures and encourage dialogue among viewers.
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Claire Chelemu
Claire Chelemu is a 24-year-old artist from Lusaka, Zambia, whose work is deeply influenced by her African heritage. While primarily working in digital art, she also explores other mediums such as oil pastels and acrylic painting.

Her art is a celebration of resilience, beauty, and strength—qualities deeply rooted in her cultural background. Through her creative journey, Claire has learned to embrace vulnerability as a source of power, using her work to explore themes of family, heritage, and everyday life.

By capturing the layered complexities of identity, she creates visuals that resonate with those who share similar experiences, offering a heartfelt reflection of African life and culture.
With a deep understanding of traditional and digital painting techniques, Claire Chelemu seamlessly blend the two to create unique artwork.
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"MAMA"
40 x 50 cm
Mixed media

€550
Mwaba Marie Chandia
Mwaba Marie Chandia is a visual artist currently based in Lusaka, Zambia. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2023 from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Her practice is largely centered around the notion of identity, both shared and personal. Her work, characterized by patterns, is inspired by motifs found in Chitenge fabrics, traditional African hairstyles and nature. The presence of women is an important aspect of her work as it relates to her personal identity and concerns of under-representation/erasure. All of these elements blend together to communicate a sense of celebration, curiosity and display. She hopes that her work pushes forward a discourse surrounding ideas on how we view and place black bodies in media, the arts, fashion. She also hopes to spark conversations about the interconnected relationship between nature and humans.
"Palm Person"
100х80 cm
Acrylic, cowrie shells on canvas

€1250
Bana Kabumba (Makers) Triptych

160х60 cm each
Acrylic, cowrie shells, oil pastel on canvas

€4500 total

Сontact for purchase: +34 630 36 34 27
awaaapplication@gmail.comx
Natasha Evans
Natasha Evans is a Zambian-born, UK-educated artist who creates contemporary mixed media works. With a Bachelor's degree in Illustration from The Arts Institute at Bournemouth, Natasha has exhibited internationally, including a solo show in Paris representing Zambia. Her work blends abstraction and figuration, using diverse materials like paper, canvas, calabash vessels, cement, and textiles.
Inspired by her environment and cultural experiences, Natasha explores themes of identity, belonging, womanhood, selfhood, and motherhood. She's moving toward creating installations with deeper narratives and is seeking new connections and curatorial support to expand her artistic reach.
"African women triptych"

50 x 208 cm
Print on canvas

€900

While themes of identity, belonging, and womanhood are present in this artwork, at its core, the image captures the raw, ephemeral beauty inherent in the Zambian people and their land.
Vetutekule Shikongo
Vetutekule is a talented digital artist and graphic designer from Namibia who uses art as a powerful tool for storytelling. Her work is deeply inspired by African heritage, the strength of women, and the preservation of cultural identity.
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Mulenga J. Mulenga
Mulenga J. Mulenga is a Zambian visual artist based in Lusaka, whose multidisciplinary practice includes painting, sculpture, video, photography, installation, and performance. Her work explores themes of identity, gender, sexuality, spirituality, and the historical impact of human interaction with nature.
Through the lens of African spirituality and historical processes, Mulenga reimagines old and new narratives, focusing on the black female body as an archival material that transforms memory into physical form.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Seychelles Biennale, Dak'Art Biennale, and the Art in the Making exhibition in Israel.
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Onyinye Ezennia
Onyinye Ezennia (Nigeria) is an artist whose work is deeply rooted in personal experience and cultural heritage, with a strong focus on universal themes that resonate with viewers from all backgrounds. Her art evokes deep emotions, seeking to foster empathy for the various challenges humanity faces.

Central to her practice is her advocacy for women and children, whose stories of struggle and resilience are woven into her work.
Through the use of threads and nails, Onyinye explores the delicate interplay between vulnerability and strength, capturing these contrasting elements to tell powerful stories of endurance and perseverance. Her work invites contemplation, urging viewers to connect with the shared experiences of humanity and to recognize the urgent need for change. Each piece serves as a call to action, drawing attention to the complexities of life while emphasizing the power of resilience in the face of adversity.

Her practice is a blend of activism and artistic expression, giving voice to those often marginalized in society while challenging viewers to reflect on their own roles in creating a more just and compassionate world.
"She Bleeds", 2023
61 x 60 cm

€5249
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"A share of wisdom", 2024

61 x 51 cm

€3200

Sharing wisdom is akin to weaving a thread into the fabric of existence, creating a timeless connection that transcends generations. Each lesson imparted illuminates the path for others, nourishing minds and souls like seeds carried by the wind. This exchange fosters empathy and unity, allowing individual stories to blend into a collective experience.
Ultimately, through sharing our knowledge, we achieve a form of immortality, leaving a lasting impact that guides future generations, echoing through the corridors of history.

Сontact for purchase: +34 630 36 34 27
awaaapplication@gmail.comx
Boet Nyariri
Boet Nyariri has developed a signature style marked by flowing lines, refined craftsmanship, and deep symbolic meaning. His sculptures—carved primarily from basalt and other natural stones—explore universal themes of motherhood, family, and childhood, inviting viewers into an intimate, emotional dialogue.

Deeply rooted in the Shona sculptural tradition, Boet approaches stone not just as a medium, but as a living vessel of spirit. His work embodies the essence of Shona beliefs, folklore, and a profound connection to the natural world.
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Hermela Abayneh
Hermela Abayneh, an accomplished artist and filmmaker from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, brings a rich blend of Ethiopian cultural heritage and contemporary themes to her work. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Painting from Ale School of Fine Art and Design (2006) and an MA in Film Production from Addis Ababa University (2016). Over her six-year career as an educator, she has shared her knowledge and inspired young artists to discover their creative voices. Hermela's art celebrates the beauty and identity of Ethiopian women, often portrayed in traditional handwoven fabrics, and delves into themes of femininity, heritage, and cultural pride.
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Selamawit G. Tsadik
Selamawit G. Tsadik is an Ethiopian visual artist born in Addis Ababa in 1984. Working primarily with oil on canvas, her art centers on themes of survival, revival, and time, symbolized through intricate leaf patterns that reflect the resilience and delicacy of life.
Inspired by her background as a social worker and art instructor, Selamawit seeks to amplify the voices of marginalized women and children. She believes art can challenge viewers to reflect on social struggles while offering empowerment and hope.
"Missing", 2024
35 x 45 cm
Oil on canvas

€350
Information
Сontact for purchase:
+34 630 36 34 27
awaaapplication@gmail.com
You can pay