Exhibition opening
On Tuesday, the 31st of March 2015, Kuona Trust in partnership with Barclays will officially announce the six finalists of the prestigious Barclays L'Atelier awards from Kenya, shortlisted from 773 entries within Africa.
The event which will be held at the National Museum of Kenya will showcase artwork from the top finalists alongside other pioneer artists in the Kenyan art scene, giving guests a glance of the vibrant contemporary and innovative art from artists in the country

About the Competition and Exhibition
The Barclays L'Atelier award is one of the most prestigious art contests in Africa. Having run in South Africa for more than 20 years, the organizers have expanded the opportunity to other emerging visual artists from Botswana, Zambia, Ghana and Kenya.

Beginning January 2015, artists aged 21 to 35 were invited to take part in the art competition. In Kenya, the Barclays L'Atelier art competition organizers have partnered with Kuona Trust Art centre to coordinate and facilitate the competition logistics.
Artwork from finalists in all 5 countries, including Kenya will be showcased at the Absa Gallery in South Africa before the winner is announced in June 2015.

The five prizes on offer consist of a 6 month trip to Paris, three merit award prizes and the Gerard Sekoto Award for the most promising artist. The top 10 finalists will all be placed on a two-day art professionalism course to assist them in managing their careers. Each finalist will also be paired with a mentor who will work with them for a year.