02 february 2025, Wouter van den Eijkel
Royal Award for Modern Painting 2025
Artists Taqwa Ali, Lieve Hakkers and Eniwaye Oluwaseyi were all presented with the Royal Award for Modern Painting by King Willem-Alexander in Amsterdam last Friday. Each of the winners received a cash prize of €9,000 at the Royal Palace on the Dam. An exhibition featuring the work of the three winners and 12 nominees will be on display at the Royal Palace on the Dam in Amsterdam until 30 March.
Along with the Prix de Rome, the Royal Award for Modern Painting is the oldest art prize for up-and-coming young visual artists living in the Netherlands. The award was established in 1871 as the Subsidy for Free Painting by King Willem III. Every year, the prize is awarded to three artists under the age of 35, who each receive €9,000. In his speech at the 154th edition of the award, the King commented, “The young artists of today show how painting continues to thrive in 2025.”
The jury, led for the second time by Mirjam Westen (curator of contemporary art at Museum Arnhem), highlighted this vitality in its report, citing internationalisation and the opportunities social media provide for artists. “Painting may be an ancient medium, but it continually evolves along with new forms, new ideas and new perspectives.”
Expositie Koninklijke Prijs voor Vrije Schilderkunst 2025. Foto: Jeroen van der Meyde.
Internationalisation and cultural diversity were evident in the large number of applicants who were not born in the Netherlands, but who live and work there. Notably, the number of female applicants exceeded the number of male applicants—reflecting the trend in art academies, where female students have been the majority for decades. Additionally, 113 applicants this year identified as self-taught artists.
Reviewing all submissions, the jury noted that most artists favour figurative and realistic styles. Approximately 10% of the work is abstract, though the boundary between figurative and abstract is not always clear. The jury was also struck by the diversity of materials used. Compared to the previous edition, more nominees have already found representation in galleries: five out of fifteen this year, compared to three in the last edition.
Interestingly, the previous edition of the Royal Award took place less than four months ago. The organisation moved the exhibition to the beginning of the calendar year, allowing it to remain open longer and reducing competition with other events at the Royal Palace on the Dam. The short preparation time had little effect on the number of submissions: 379 artists applied this year, compared to 483 in 2024.
Eniwaye Oluwaseyi. Photo: Berend van Breda
The winners
The international aspect is also reflected in the winners. Two out of three were not born in the Netherlands and Eniwaye Oluwa (Nigeria, 1994) has lived in the Netherlands for less than a year. He is currently a resident artist at the Rijksakademie.
Oluwa had long wondered why he only painted friends and family. After arriving in the Netherlands, he tried photographing the Nigerian and Ghanaian communities in Amsterdam Southeast for inspiration, but found a lack of intimacy in the pictured. This led him to a new approach and different paintings, depicting Black figures in non-existent, slightly surreal spaces.
Oluwa’s goal is not just to create beautiful paintings, but to spark conversation. He explains, “I have always been interested in spaces, especially for Africans. I am creating these ethereal spaces or psychological spaces in which the black body actually exists and is not bound by rules or regulations. I want people to see these paintings, with different elements coming together, ask questions and really understand what this space is about. What prompts a black body to actually have to be in such a space? Why not just exist in a real space?”
Lieve Hakkers. Photo: Berend van Breda
Lieve Hakkers (Netherlands, 1996) graduated from AKI in Enschede in 2020 and spent two years as a resident at De Ateliers in Amsterdam. Her work explores themes of timelessness, transformation and self-expression. She paints snapshots—details that linger in her mind from daily life—using thin layers of tempera, ink and oil sticks.
With her rough brushstrokes and unsteady lines, it takes a moment to recognise what it is you are looking at. For instance, Friday Night seems abstract at first, until you notice the burning candle in the middle. The jury praised Hakkers for translating her observations of moments and emotions into a visual language that allows viewers to project their own associations onto her work.
Taqwa Ali. Photo: Berend van Breda
Taqwa Ali (Sudan, 1997) moved to the Netherlands at the age of 16 and graduated in 2023 from the Maastricht Institute of Arts. Her work appears abstract, with titles like Blue Nile at Midnight and Meena Kosty, 11°19'31"N 34°04'09"E. These coordinates are not random—Sudan has been torn apart by wars for years, making it nearly impossible to visit. Satellite imagery is often the only way to safely view the landscape.
Ali impressed the jury with her quiet, abstract compositions made from fragile materials like sand, clay and plant-based dyes. She uses these materials to express themes of displacement and translocation—movement from one place to another. The origins of the raw materials and their geological layers symbolise translocation. Ali hopes her material choices will evoke a sense of home, capturing emotions, memories and longing.
