Young sculptor Smiso Cele’s Cassirer Welz Award -winning piece references the past as it does the present
By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor
I have a confession to make. When I met the artist young sculptor Smiso Cele recently at artist Senzeni Marasela’s studios at Ellis House, east of Johannesburg, where there was a curatorial practice talk and performance art event led by UK based South African academic Mpho Matsipa, I promised him that I was going to attend a group exhibition at the downstair gallery on the following Sunday. It was a Friday. I however did not make it.
Something else took over that time slot. I felt bad, then, even worse on Monday, August 18, 2025, at the Strauss & Co’s head office in Johannesburg in Houghton. Just as the tension was building up among the five finalists for the Welz Cassirer Award, of which Cele was one of them, we had a little talk. He reminded me of the broken promise I had made to him on July 18, 2025 at Ellis House, a promise I did not fulfil.
Even as I tried to deflect the conversation moving it in a different direction, he did not let go easily as he concluded the discussion on the issue by saying the following, “When I saw you, I immediately thought of the promise you made to come to the exhibition.” There was a moment of awkward silence between us, forcing me to break that uncomfortable moment by apologizing.
Then we moved on. He started telling me how nervous he was about the moment of reckoning, and that is when the time would soon arrive to announce the winner. I consoled him by suggesting that he must have a drink, and in fact it was normal to be nervous for something as big as an award ceremony, in which you are a participant and in which you have no idea about your fate.
Whether that helped on or not, I am not sure. But I noticed that his drink remained intact, planted in his hand without decreasing in quantity. It indeed must have been a hard moment for the young artists, I can imagine. He did not seem to have even sipped a bit of it. It was indeed a moment of dense tension in the room, just before the announcement as to who among the five was picked by the judges for this year’s Cassier Welz Award was made by Khetiwe McClain of Strauss &Co.
The judges indeed picked Cele ahead of Fiona Davhana (South Africa), Ditiro Mashigo (South Africa), Swaline Mkhonto (South Africa), and Chidimma Nwafor (Nigeria).
This is definitely a game changer in the carer trajectory of the young sculptor, whose work in wood and steel his entry for the award took centre stage of the gallery display of the work of the five finalists.
A simple wood and steel in a form of two shovels put together, joining a wood panel representing the toiling of migrant workers in Johannesburg, reminiscent of the work that has been previously produced by the late iconic South African painter Gerard Sekoto about Sophiatown and the working class, the racially integrated slum of Johannesburg in the 50s and 60s that gave apartheid architects a headache, is what won this young artist the award. Sophiatown was eventually razed down by the authorities who could no longer tolerate a simple slum defying their grand plans of separating people on the basis of race.
Cele, art piece is stunning in its simplicity as it is equally stunning in its complexity of dealing with a dense subject of migration and the cheap labour provided by those coming to the big city from rural areas of southern Africa. This sculptural work references the past, just as it references the contemporary. It is a situation of the past refusing to let go of the present, and in a way also influencing the future.
15 Years of the Cassirer Welz Award and announcement of the 2025 Award Winner
“In 2011, Nobel Prize winner Nadine Gordimer founded this prestigious award, inspired by her husband Reinhold Cassirer’s deep love for the arts. The recognition has evolved into one of South Africa’s most respected platforms for celebrating emerging artistic talent both locally and from the Sub-Saharan Region. When Stephan Welz (Founder member and Managing Director of Strauss & Co) passed away, the award was renamed the Cassirer Welz Award, paying tribute to both men’s significant impact on the country’s cultural landscape.
For fifteen years, the Cassirer Welz Award sponsored by Strauss & Co, has been a beacon of support for young career artists, providing them with a transformative residency experience at the Bag Factory Artists’ Studios.
After fifteen years of nurturing creative excellence, both Bag Factory Artists’ Studios and Strauss & Co Education remain steadfast in their dedication to champion the next generation of contemporary African artists.
From the numerous applications received for this year’s edition of the award, 5 artists were shortlisted for the final judging process. These are: Smiso Cele (South Africa), Fiona Davhana (South Africa), Ditiro Mashigo (South Africa), Swaline Mkhonto (South Africa), and Chidimma Nwafor (Nigeria).
We are delighted to announce the winner ofthe Cassirer Welz Award 2025 Smiso Cele, who will be awarded a 3-month artists residency at Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, culminating in a solo exhibition.
To further celebrate the longevity of the Award as well as Strauss & Co’s commitment, Bag Factory Artists’ Studios, will host an exhibition celebrating the creative path of the winners to date with a group exhibition opening on 30th August, titled Trajectories
In 2025 the Award is made possible with the ongoing support of Strauss & Co and additionally funded by the French Institute of South Africa,” said Strauss &Co. in a stamen after the announcement
“For the French Institute of South Africa, supporting the 15th edition of the Cassirer Welz Award reflects our wider mission to nurture cultural exchange and creative talent. The award aligns with our own goal to provide emerging African artists with a platform for mentorship, growth, and meaningful engagement with the wider industry,” said Dorine Lebreton, cultural attaché and deputy director.