We love seeing South African creatives shine! Especially when their work focuses on women, culture and connection to the natural world.
South Africa (29 January 2026) – For a second run in three years, a female South African documentary and portrait photographer has become one of only five Global Grant winners of the international Fujifilm GFX Challenge Grant Program 2025!
Lee-Ann Olwage has received the $10,000 (R158,900) grant to bring her latest project, Weaving Stars and Palm Leaves, to life. Along with the grant, she also receives Fujifilm gear for the duration of the project.
“With this grant I will work on a very special project that has been two years in the making called Weaving Stars and Palm Leaves. I am excited to shoot with the Fujifilm GFX System over the course of the next year to explore the rich capabilities of large format storytelling.” says Olwage.
The story she’s set to tell is meaningful. Olwage’s work will take her to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, where she’ll document the lives of the Amazigh women – guardians of a rug-making tradition passed down for generations.
“The Amazigh women create more than just rugs, they weave the very essence of their identity, their connection to nature and their spiritual journeys. Weavers draw inspiration from the landscapes incorporating symbolic designs that reflect their connection to the land and spirit world.”
The project also looks closely at climate change and its impact on mountain communities, and how traditional knowledge offers insight into sustainable living.
“Due to elevation-dependent warming, mountain regions experience more rapid and intense change than lower elevation regions. In the face of climate change, the continuation of the rug making tradition becomes even more crucial. This is because the weavers’ knowledge of natural materials and dyes, their understanding of the land, and their connection to the rhythms of nature provide valuable insights into sustainable living,” Olwage says.
Amanda Maddox, one of the judges of the GFX Challenge Grant Program, highlighted why Lee-Ann’s work stood out.
“Throughout her career, Lee-Ann Olwage has demonstrated a deep commitment to documenting women’s stories from across the African continent. Her examination of Amazigh weavers in Morocco represents a continuation of such work and promises to be a sensitive, informative exploration of tradition, gender relations and environmental concerns.”
Now in its fifth year, the Fujifilm GFX Challenge Grant Program supports creatives around the world, awarding five Global Grants and ten Regional Grants annually.
Lee-Ann joins winners from Taiwan, Japan, China and the United States — and follows in the footsteps of fellow South African Jodi Windvogel, who received the Global Grant in 2023.
Weaving Stars and Palm Leaves will see Lee-Ann spend a month in Morocco capturing the lives and artistry of Amazigh women, with her final work set to be exhibited internationally.
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