2024 FNB Art Prize winner reflects ahead of his solo exhibition at the Johannesburg Art Gallery on 23 August
In the title of one of his latest art series, Cartwheels in the Sand, Zimbabwean artist Gresham Tapiwa Nyaude, evokes thoughts of boundless joy and, above all, unrestricted freedom. And, if you let your imagination (and the little knowledge you have about the artist) run free, you might see the symbolism in navigating the real obstacles to success when you grow up in a community like Zimbabwe’s oldest township, Mbare.
“For me, art is a way to be free, and to be human, in the most honest way possible,” says 37-year-old Nyaude, expressing an idea the makings of which were likely formed when he started making sense of the world through pictures. “There was never really a time when I was not drawing. From the earliest time, making images and thinking about the world through images has been my constant companion,” he recalls.
It’s been almost a year since he topped a shortlist of finalists to win the 14th FNB Art Prize in August 2024. That moment included not only in exhibiting his work at the 2024 edition of FNB Art Joburg but also added an important endorsement to his already international career.
As he tells it, Nyaude started playing with the idea of seriously pursuing his gift professionally in high school. “Wycliffe Mundopa, who was my mate in art class, once told me that art is not just something that you do, it’s something that you can do to make a living.”
Beyond that, what Nyaude cherishes most is his love for the physical process of making marks on canvas. “I fell in love with painting and the way you lose yourself when you are blending paint, thinking through the structure of a painting. It’s not about external validation. That’s nice, but it is not the real reason to do anything.”
Despite a career spanning 16 years, at the time he won the FNB Art Prize, Nyaude was still pushing against the boundaries of visibility and recognition, especially as a Zimbabwean artist represented by a local gallery. “We are still breaking some glass ceilings in South Africa,” he says. “The prize is a way of asserting a supportive endorsement by a critical South African establishment and gives audiences confidence to support an artist from outside the country.”
The win, he says, was more than a trophy. It was a moment of affirmation. “At every stage of your career as an artist, a prize is a bonus. The path is not even or easy, so you have to be grateful and appreciate every moment of validation and support.”
That validation is now culminating in another milestone: his solo exhibition titled Sugar Coats at the Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG), opening on Saturday 23 August. It’s a moment that marks not only personal achievement but also the tangible impact of the FNB Art Prize on the careers of African creatives. The exhibition is part of the prize’s offering: a collaboration between FNB Art Joburg and JAG that Nyaude sees as a model for how institutions and industry can come together to support the continent’s creative economy.
“My commitment to my practice as an artist, and a painter in particular, is a commitment to growth and evolution,” he says. “The challenge to develop a solo project for a museum space is a new step in thinking conceptually on a larger scale and thinking about legacy as well as a conversation with history.”
But even as his career expands globally, Nyaude remains grounded in his philosophy of authenticity. “There is often a pressure, subtle and sometimes not so subtle, to fit in with what people say you should do to be ‘successful’ or how people think you should be ‘African’. Everything I paint is painted by an African. I don’t need to prove my Africanness to anyone.”
He’s also deeply invested in mentoring younger artists, especially those navigating the increasingly commercialised art world. “Skills are support, the muscle you need to fully actualise your freedom and humanity in your own unique way,” he says. “A lot of pressure is put on young artists today to make it in a very market financial way. That pressure is a lie and a distraction.”
Looking ahead, Nyaude hopes to see more African audiences and collectors supporting African artists, more museums and publications, and more respect for art as both vocation and cultural patrimony. “Initiatives like the FNB Art Prize are tremendously important because they create visible collaboration between artists, institutions and industry. That’s what we need more of on the continent.”
As he prepares to unveil his solo exhibition, Nyaude’s journey is a testament to the power of staying true to one’s voice, and to the role that meaningful support can play in amplifying it.
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