The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA) has announced that Abdoulaye Konaté will be a central honouree of its 2026 Gala, to be held on 20 February 2026 during Cape Town Art Week. One of the most influential figures in contemporary African art, Konaté will receive the Honorary Award for Artistic Excellence, recognising his profound and enduring contribution to global visual culture.
Internationally celebrated for his monumental textile works, Konaté has developed a visual language that merges material experimentation with political, social and spiritual reflection. His practice, deeply rooted in West African traditions, engages with urgent global themes such as ecology, identity, conflict and collective memory, positioning art as a space for ethical inquiry and cultural dialogue.
His recognition by Zeitz MOCAA affirms the museum’s commitment to foregrounding artists whose practices have reshaped contemporary art discourse from the African continent outward.
The 2026 Gala will take place in the spirit of Koyo Kouoh, the museum’s late Executive Director and Chief Curator, whose vision championed artistic rigor, intellectual independence and transnational exchange. Honouring Konaté aligns with her belief in art as a transformative force capable of articulating complex histories and imagining shared futures.
February 5, 2026
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