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On 19 February 2026, a special moment for the young international art scene was celebrated at Berlin’s Hotel de Rome: the ceremonial presentation of the Young Generation Art Award 2026, initiated by Degussa in cooperation with the art magazine Monopol. The art prize, launched in 2024 and awarded for the first time in 2025, is specifically aimed at emerging artists at the beginning of their careers and sends a strong signal in support of young talent.
A prize with strong resonance
Out of around 400 applications, five artists were selected for the shortlist exhibition. This year’s winner, chosen by an expert jury consisting of Elke Buhr, editor-in-chief of Monopol magazine, Yilmaz Dziewior, director of Museum Ludwig in Cologne, and Maya Heckelmann, responsible for art and cultural sponsorship at Degussa, is Nigerian artist Ken Nwadiogbu, who lives in London.Congratulations to this exceptionally promising young artist!
The jury’s statement
The jury justified its decision by highlighting that Ken Nwadiogbu impressed in the shortlist exhibition of the Young Generation Art Award with his technically virtuosic, compelling and at the same time highly relational and multi-layered art. Nwadiogbu masterfully combines hyperrealistic figuration with expressive abstract backgrounds, positioning himself in a complex way within painterly modernism.In terms of subject matter, his work is firmly rooted in the present: with portraits in luminous yellow, based on photographic references of people from his environment, he honours members of the Black community and allows them to radiate. The deliberately omitted eyes, rendered in black and white, create an almost immediate and direct connection between viewers and the depicted individuals.
The often challenging reality of migration is countered by the confident and strong presence of Nwadiogbu’s protagonists. The multi-layered connection between Nigerian heritage and contemporary art is expressed in some works through the use of Akwete, a traditional handwoven Nigerian fabric. By painting on its reverse side, Nwadiogbu creates a dual artwork. In doing so, he pays tribute to tradition while simultaneously creating new imagery for the present.
The award winner Ken Nwadiogbu
The artist, born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1994, initially studied engineering before turning to art. He then completed a Master’s degree in Painting at the Royal College of Art in London, where he now lives and works.As the winner of the Young Generation Art Award 2026, he receives prize money of €10,000, a solo exhibition at Frieze London 2026 and a one-year travelling exhibition at international venues.
This year’s shortlist exhibition once again demonstrated the remarkable diversity of the young art scene. With Ken Nwadiogbu, a voice is honoured that brings emotional depth and social relevance to the canvas, thereby impressively fulfilling the award’s aim of promoting outstanding emerging talent.
