BIC has announced the regional and national winners of the sixth edition of its ballpoint pen art competition, Art Master Africa. The competition was launched earlier this year and called on creatives to depict their interpretation of this year’s theme of Ubuntu (One Africa), using the BIC ballpoint pen.
Kenyan artist Emmanual Wandera emerged top as Kenya’s national winner for his piece titled Villagers. Following his victory, Wandera won a cash prize of Ksh. 64,500 (USD 500). Runners-up Joel Joe and James Odhiambo were recognized for their pieces Mama Africa and Fatherly Compassion respectively and were each awarded Ksh. 38,700 (USD 300).
Art Master Africa announced three regional winners and six national winners. The regional winner in first place won a cash prize of USD 2,000, a personalized opportunity to be featured in the Art Master Africa Metaverse gallery, and a chance to be featured in BIC’s Art Collection globally. Second and third-place winners received a cash prize of Ksh. 129,000 (USD 1,000) and Ksh. 64,500 (USD 500) respectively.
Commenting on the occasion, Gregory Alibaux, Art Master Africa custodian and Marketing Director for Middle East and Africa at BIC, said, “We are proud of running Art Master Africa for the sixth year in a row. The competition has come a long way, starting in South Africa in 2017 and expanding into the wider region. It has brought to life phenomenal talent from across the region and is a testament to our commitment to unleashing creativity using writing tools and living up to our vision of bringing simplicity and joy to everyday life through our products.”
Judge Gary Eric commented on the artwork saying, “The artworks we received are a testament to the incredible talent and creativity on the African continent. Each piece reflects artists’ talent while connecting to the broader message of unity and harmony across African communities. As the judging panel, we were very impressed with this year’s submissions.”
Commenting on his win, National winner Emmanuel Wandera expressed his delight, saying, “Participating in the BIC Art Master Africa competition has been an incredible journey. It’s an honor to have my art piece recognized, especially on a theme as meaningful as Ubuntu. I am grateful to BIC for creating such an inspiring platform for African artists, and I encourage others to join and share their creativity with the world.”