London-based Nigerian artist Ken Nwadiogbu has been named the winner of the Young Generation Art Award 2026, presented by Degussa in partnership with monopol.

The award was announced during a ceremony held at the Hotel de Rome in Berlin, where Nwadiogbu emerged as the top artist from a competitive pool of around 400 applicants. Five finalists had been shortlisted before the jury selected him as this year’s winner.

Born in 1994, Nwadiogbu is known for his innovative conceptual drawings and multidisciplinary storytelling approach. Although he originally trained in civil and environmental engineering, he has spent over seven years building a career as a studio artist, exploring themes such as Black socio-political structures, gender equality, African identity, and empowerment.

Reacting to the recognition, he described the award as motivation to “stay disciplined and humble” while continuing to tell authentic stories and create spaces for representation.

Widely known as KenArt, he is also credited with pioneering the “Contemporealism” movement, a blend of hyper-realism and contemporary art. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Brick Lane Gallery in London and in group exhibitions across the United States, Nigeria, and Europe.

The award marks another milestone in Nwadiogbu’s growing global profile as one of the emerging voices shaping contemporary African art.