There’s nothing like a good dose of proudly South African art to feed those serious soul food cravings. And if you’re in the Mother City now, you don’t need to go further than the HUB Gallery to get it.
Cape Town, South Africa (22 October 2025) – At the end of August, the Mother City’s HUB gallery became the temporary home to 60 stunning artworks from the finalists of this year’s Portrait Award, one of the biggest competitions in the country for representational art.
It’s a proper chance to take in a remarkable range of work all under one roof, from hyperreal drawings, like the piece that took the prize at this year’s awards, to more abstract takes that still embody the essence of portraiture.
The Portrait Award has been running every two years since 2013, growing into a platform that celebrates the technical skill and the stories that portrait art so often carries.
This year, history was made when Upington’s Malik Mani won the competition, becoming the youngest-ever winner and the first from the Northern Cape! His pencil work, Mask, stole the show.
“For the second consecutive year, we are supporting the national Portrait Award. Portrait 100 is a significant platform that celebrates the strength and variety of South African contemporary portraiture, while giving art lovers an opportunity to engage with fresh talent and acquire these works,” says HUB Gallery and Spier Arts Trust CEO Mirna Wessels.
The show is only on for a little while longer – it closes on 29 October. You’ll find the HUB Gallery at the famous Union House at 25 Commercial Street in Cape Town.
The space keeps art, approachable and accessible. You can wander through, see work from across the country, and maybe even find yourself falling for a piece you never expected to. Every artwork from the Top 60 is for sale!
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