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Kemang Wa Lehulere Wins Deutsche Bank's 2017 Artist of the Year Award

award · 2026-04-24

So, check this out: Kemang Wa Lehulere, an artist from South Africa, was named the Deutsche Bank Artist of the Year for 2017. Each year, a group of curators, including well-known names like Okwui Enwezor and Victoria Noorthoorn, picks the winner. This award highlights contemporary artists whose work is impactful both artistically and socially, especially focusing on paper and photography. Previous recipients have been artists like Yto Barrada and Basim Magdy. Also, Wa Lehulere will have his own solo show at the Deutsche Bank KunstHalle in Berlin in the spring of 2017.

Key facts

  • Kemang Wa Lehulere is from Cape Town.
  • He was named Deutsche Bank's 2017 Artist of the Year.
  • The award is given annually on the recommendation of an advisory council.
  • Council members: Okwui Enwezor, Hou Hanru, Udo Kittelmann, Victoria Noorthoorn.
  • The award recognizes contemporary artists working with paper and photography.
  • Previous winners include Yto Barrada, Roman Ondák, Imran Qureshi, Victor Man, Koki Tanaka, and Basim Magdy.
  • Wa Lehulere will have a solo exhibition at Deutsche Bank KunstHalle in Berlin in spring 2017.
  • The award is for artistic and social relevance.

Entities

Artists

  • Kemang Wa Lehulere
  • Yto Barrada
  • Roman Ondák
  • Imran Qureshi
  • Victor Man
  • Koki Tanaka
  • Basim Magdy

Institutions

  • Deutsche Bank
  • Deutsche Bank KunstHalle

Locations

  • Cape Town
  • South Africa
  • Berlin
  • Germany

Sources