AN INTERVIEW WITH MALIK MANI – YOUNGEST WINNER OF THE 7TH PORTRAIT AWARD

October 2025

You’ve made history as the youngest-ever winner of the Portrait Award. How does it feel to have achieved such a milestone at this stage in your career?

It is a tremendous privilege to win this esteemed competition at a relatively early stage in my career, despite being accompanied by significant challenges. The victory brings with it lofty expectations, which may engender a sense of uncertainty due to my limited experience. Nevertheless, I regard this as a valuable opportunity to showcase my artistic vision to a global audience.

Your work challenges the very definition of what a portrait can be. What ideas or emotions were you hoping to provoke through this unconventional approach?

What I aim to accomplish with my portrait is to shift the audience’s focus from the technical skill demonstrated to the narrative I am attempting to convey. A direct approach with realism often diverts the audience’s attention from the story being told, prompting them to commend the skill instead. I aspire to alter this dynamic by utilizing my realism skill in a symbolic manner that compels the audience to pay attention to the message I am trying to convey.

The medium you chose played a vital role in how the work was received. Why did you choose this specific medium, and how do you think it contributed to the success of your piece?

Pencil is a medium with which I am thoroughly familiar. The skill demonstrated through realism, I believe, played a pivotal role in winning the competition. I do not think that what I was trying to convey could have been achieved with other mediums.

Portraiture often balances tradition and innovation. How do you see your practice fitting into or disrupting that conversation?

My approach to portraiture does not necessarily deviate from tradition, but rather offers a nuanced interpretation. I strive to maintain a symbolic and surrealistic aesthetic, thereby encouraging the audience to engage with the artwork on a deeper level and form their own opinions regarding its meaning.

Looking ahead, how do you hope this recognition will shape your creative journey and the kind of stories you want to tell through your art?

I hope this recognition will maintain my curiosity, prompting me to seek further insight from society on the significance of my art to them and the impact it has had. Because the stories I tell are primarily derived from the society.

Thank you.

You can find more of Malik Mani as featured in Visi Magazine, Good Things Guy, and SABC News.

RUST-EN-VREDE GALLERY + CLAY MUSEUM | Home of the Portrait Award