Gallery 1957 has announced the fifth edition of The Yaa Asantewaa Art Prize, the first-ever prize exclusively for Ghanaian women artists, living either in Africa or across the diaspora. Named after the prominent Ghanaian Queen Mother of Esiju in Ashanti Empire, Yaa Asantewaa, the Yaa Asantewaa Art Prize aligns with Gallery 1957’s mission to support and uplift emerging and established artists.
The winners will be selected by a distinguished jury of internationally renowned curators, entrepreneurs and art world professionals. This years jury are:
Aindrea Emelife: Curator and Art Historian
Othman Lazraq: Multidisciplinary Creative Entrepreneur and Founding Director of MACAALMs
Omenaa Mensah: Philanthropist, Art Collector, Member of Tate Modern’s Africa Acquisitions Committee
Prof. Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung: Curator, Author and Biotechnologist
Nana Sao: Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Africa Capitalworks
Yesomi Umolu: Arts leader, writer, curator and cultural strategist.
The winner of the 2025 prize will be awarded a one year artist residency and a solo exhibition at Gallery 1957, along with a cash prize of GHC 50,000. The first runner-up will be awarded GHC 30,000, while the second runner-up will receive GHC 20,000.
Submission Requirements:
Artist Bio and Statement: A bio of up to 200 words telling us who you are, where you are from, where you live, where you have schooled (schooling does not have to be formal or directly related to art) and a concise story of your artistic journey.
Portfolio: Up to 6 high resolution photos/videos/media links of your artworks including a full caption of the title, date, medium and measurements.
All documents should be saved in pdf format.
Eligibility:
To be eligible for the Yaa Asantewaa Art Prize, applicants must be 18 years and above and be a Ghanaian woman living either in Ghana or across its diaspora. Submissions should be sent via email to applications@gallery1957.com. Applicants may contact tatyana@gallery1957.com with any queries. The deadline for submissions is the 19th of September 2025, with the winners set to be announced in November 2025.
