TUT artists earn national acclaim at Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition

Students and alumni from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Faculty of Arts and Design have once again demonstrated their creative excellence in one of South Africa’s most prestigious visual arts competitions, the Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition, one of the country’s longest-running art competitions. The winners were announced at the Pretoria Art Museum on 9 September.

Master's student Inga Lokwe with her merit award-winning artwork, Qula kwedini, at the 2026 Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition. Inga Lokwe, a Master’s student in Fine and Applied Arts specialising in glass, and Wisani Manyisi, who graduated with a B-Tech Fine Arts degree in 2017, made the university proud by each receiving merit awards. Lokwe obtained a merit for Qula kwedini (glass, metal and wood), while Manyisi received his award for Dance of Memory (mixed media on paper).

“My work brings together memory, material and resistance, and is deeply connected to the landscapes and traditions of the Eastern Cape. Growing up there, I was shaped by the rhythms of rural life. I herded cattle, goats and horses, and learned about work and rest from my grandparents. I often played stick games with boys, and from those moments, I realised that the body could hold care, strength and defiance at once. These early experiences, rooted in stories from the Eastern Cape, remain at the heart of my practice. They drive me to keep questioning the boundaries set around gender, tradition and belonging,” said Lokwe.

Lokwe’s work symbolises the uhadi, a traditional Xhosa musical instrument that was once played only by married women and virgins.

“This rule reinforced patriarchal ideas by determining who could perform and whose voices were heard. It became both a cultural privilege and a means of controlling women’s roles in society. By reimagining the uhadi in glass, I want to transform it into a symbol of resistance, challenging old traditions and making room for new ideas about African womanhood. My work calls for justice and inclusivity, creating greater space for the voices of queer women and reaffirming their place in cultural memory and representation,” she said.

Read more about her work here: https://www.sasolsignatures.co.za/?s=Inga

Manyisi’s work reflects on the pain caused by war in Mozambique and how his family was forced to leave their home.

“This painting is a quiet place to remember those difficult times and the separation we experienced. I placed an empty piano and armchair in a vast, quiet field to express the profound sadness of missing the people we love. The stillness of the painting is intended to create a sense of tranquillity, inviting viewers to stop, listen, reflect and feel close to those we have lost. Beside the piano, a small blue lantern serves as a light of hope, helping our memories find their way back home,” he said.

Read more about his work here: https://www.sasolsignatures.co.za/?s=Wisani

Both artists received prize money of R10 000.

Fine and Applied Arts alumnus Wisani Manyisi with his merit award-winning artwork, Dance of Memory, at the 2026 Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition. Asked what the recognition meant to them, Lokwe described it as “a valuable affirmation of my hard work and experimental practice”, while an overjoyed Manyisi said he was “extremely excited”.

The accolades did not stop with Lokwe and Manyisi. Another current Master’s student and four alumni from the Department of Fine and Studio Arts were selected as finalists.

They are (click on the links to view their work):

Sello Letswalo (alum)
https://www.sasolsignatures.co.za/?s=Letswalo

Kgotso Masoga (alum)
https://www.sasolsignatures.co.za/?s=Kgotso

Ukhona Mthethwa (Master’s student)
https://www.sasolsignatures.co.za/?s=Mthethwa

Simon Radebe (alum)
https://www.sasolsignatures.co.za/?s=Simon

Siphokuhle Vukubi (Ngotatomkhulu) (alum)
https://www.sasolsignatures.co.za/?s=Siphokuhle

Founded by the Association of Arts Pretoria in the 1960s and sponsored by Sasol since 1991, the Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition has played a pivotal role in launching the careers of many South African artists and remains a sought-after platform for emerging talent seeking national recognition and exposure.

In congratulating the finalists, Pfunzo Sidogi, Assistant Dean: Postgraduate Studies, Research and Innovation at the Faculty of Arts and Design and National Chairperson of the Sasol New Signatures Visual Arts Competition, said: “I am extremely proud of Lokwe and Manyisi for the stellar artworks they submitted to the competition. The judges were extremely impressed by the technical execution and depth of concepts in the artworks. I also celebrate the other TUT-link finalists in this year’s competition. Their collective achievement is a testament to the strength of the Fine and Applied Arts programme at TUT.”

This year’s overall winner is Sphumelele Zondi from Johannesburg with a work titled The laundry of a nation (mixed media on cardboard and paper). The work reflects on the emotional and social inheritance carried by young people in contemporary South Africa.

She won R100 000 and the opportunity to present a solo exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum next year.

This year’s competition attracted 1 000 submissions, with only 123 artworks selected for the finalist round.

The exhibition can be viewed until 8 November.

PHOTOS: Gerrit Bester