The BNAP Foundation, in collaboration with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), proudly hosted the 2025 Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize Awards at the JSE’s prestigious offices in Sandton. The event celebrated eleven outstanding emerging artists, whose works were unveiled in a group exhibition titled “The Cartography of Dreams.” Curated by Palesa Suthane, The Cartography of Dreams explores the role of memory and emotion in documenting history and envisioning the future. The exhibition presents "dream cartography" as a metaphorical method of mapping personal memories and subconscious experiences, offering a reflective lens on how we process lived realities. Through this conceptual framework, memory becomes a tool for understanding our individual histories, while dreams illuminate deeply held emotions. Each of the selected artists approaches the exhibition theme with a unique conceptual lens, integrating culture, nature, and aesthetic inquiry in their interpretations of lived experience and aspiration. Together, their works highlight the emotional and psychological terrains we navigate as we grow through what we go through. This year’s finalists include: Emmanuel Odogwu (Nigeria), Given Muronga (South Africa), Itumeleng Mtshali (South Africa), Joy Mwali (South Africa), Julien Oozeeraully (Mauritius), Keonah Nyembe (South Africa), Khanyisa Agnes Brancon (South Africa), Miangaly Elia Andrianstoa (Madagascar), Nathaniel Sheppard III (South Africa), Kimberly Siphenathi Mduli (South Africa), and Siyabonga Mtshali (South Africa).    

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