FNB Art Price winner: Cedric Nunn23 September 2011

The winner of the FNB Art Prize for 2011 was announced at the opening night of the FNB Joburg Art Fair at the Sandton Convention Centre last night.  After a stringent nomination and adjudication process, Cedric Nunn was announced as the winner of the inaugural FNB Art Prize.

Nunn, who started his career as a documentary photographer in the early 80’s, was nominated by the Bailey Seippel Gallery.  After years of documenting the realities of the Apartheid regime, he moved on to cover the first democratic elections in 1994.
“I am delighted to be the first to receive an art prize of this nature, and am deeply humbled by this acknowledgment.” said Nunn after the announcement.

Over the decades, Nunn participated in numerous projects, and held multiple solo exhibitions. From 1998 to 2000 he served as director of the Market Photography Workshop in Johannesburg. He teaches and mentors local and foreign photography students, and serves on the board of the Bensusan Museum of Photography in Johannesburg.

He has also taught at the Wits University School of the Arts, New York University Tisch School of Arts exchange programme and The School for International Training.

“FNB is proud to present this award to Cedric. He truly represents the authentic South African and African artist.  As a self-taught photographer he opitimises what the FNB Joburg Art Fair and the FNB Art Prize is about.” said Bernice Samuels, Chief Marketing Officer of FNB.

“We have a longstanding relationship with the FNB Joburg Art Fair, and this year we wanted to really illustrate that we are committed to supporting African and South African artists.  What better way than to recognise those individuals who excel in an industry where they don’t always receive the deserved recognition.” concludes Samuels.

Ross Douglas, Director of Artlogic, the organisers of the event said that Nunn has produced a significant body of work, primarily during the isolation years of the 80’s, that includes both documentary and art photography. “The judges were unanimous in their decision.” added Douglas.