The Africell Impact Foundation and Defise Foundation, have announced the winners of the inaugural Elembo Ya Sika Art Prize.
Announced last year, the Elembo Ya Sika Art Prize—named after the Lingala phrase meaning “to make a new mark”—aims to support early-career visual artists in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By addressing barriers such as limited access to materials, mentorship, and exposure, the prize seeks to nurture a new generation of Congolese artistic talent.
The competition attracted more than 120 applicants, from which 20 finalists were selected. The judging panel featured the internationally respected figures of Naomi Beckwith, Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York; Dana Endundo Ferreira, Founder and CEO of the digital art platform Pavillon 54; and acclaimed contemporary artist Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga.
After careful deliberation, the judges selected three winners, all based in Kinshasa, whose work reflects both the richness and complexity of contemporary Congolese life.
- Destin Ushindi Mpigiri was recognised for his evocative mixed-media paintings, which capture the rhythms of daily life through imagery reminiscent of vintage photographic negatives. His work creates a striking dialogue between present realities and the echoes of the past.
- Kethia Masengo Mbaya was awarded for Usawa (“balance”), a body of work that blends drawing and photography in layered self-portraits. Drawing on her upbringing in a family of painters, she constructs intimate visual spaces that explore identity, heritage, and artistic evolution.
- Gloire Nkembo was honoured for his surrealist compositions examining the environmental and social consequences of human activity. Incorporating symbols such as QR codes and barcodes, his work interrogates the tensions between technology, memory, and the value of human life.
Each winner will receive a comprehensive support package designed to accelerate their artistic development. This includes thousands of dollars worth of art materials from Winsor & Newton, a year-long mentorship with Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, and ongoing promotional support from both the Africell Impact Foundation and the Defise Foundation.
The Elembo Ya Sika Art Prize is open to visual artists living and working in Kinshasa who have not yet received commercial gallery representation, participated in international residencies, or held solo exhibitions outside the city. By focusing on emerging, under-recognised talent, the initiative is helping to strengthen the foundations of the DRC’s contemporary art ecosystem.