Renowned Zimbabwean mixed media artist, Moffat Takadiwa, has been named the Grand Prize winner of the inaugural Toyota Tshusho CFAO African Art Award - a distinction dedicated to emerging contemporary artists from the African continent.
Takadiwa was selected from among a hundred nominees proposed by 35 sctive art professionals (including curators and art critics) from around the world, that were initially cut to a shortlist of 12, before Takadiwa and 4 others emerged as recipients.
The inaugural Toyota Tshusho CFAO African Art Award had 5 recipients across 3 categories that included: Grand Prize, two Distinguished Awards (joint second-place winners) and two Sponsor Awards (one for TTC and one for CFAO).
“Art is not an accessory to society; it is one of the ways in which societies reflect, question and project themselves into the future. With more than 170 years of presence across the African continent, it is natural for CFAO to engage alongside artists and communities," said Richard Bielle, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, CFAO.
"Through Toyota Tshusho CFAO African Art Award, we want to support the diversity of contemporary practices emerging from Africa and help carry these voices and the Continent’s cultural radiance far beyond its borders," he went on.
Moffat Takadiwa has a Diploma Fine Art in Harare Polytechnic College, Zimbabwe. The artist has exhibited internationally at platforms such as the 60th Venice Biennale (2024) and the São Paulo Biennale (2025). He has also featured in notable institutional shows such as Galerie Édouard-Manet (France), Craft Contemporary (Los Angeles, USA) and the National Gallery of Zimbabwe (Harare).
In addition to international recognition, the Toyota Tshusho CFAO African Art Award will see Takadiwa receiving prize money, an exhibition opportunity in either Togo, Japan or France, and the production of a catalogue for the exhibition.