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Kevin Osepa was handed the award by Secreaty of State Koen Becking (Education, Culture and Science) in Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. The prize was awarded for his latest work, Lusgarda, and as acknowledgement for his full impressive oeuvre. The prize is accompanied by a sum of € 60.000.
Overwhelming and touching
Lusgarda is a mixed media installation that Osepa made especilly for the Prix de Rome. It shows the disappearing ritual van Ocho Dia: the eight-day mourning period following a funeral on his native island of Curaçao. The jury described Lusgarda as a work that is both overwhelming and touching, elevating the recognisable and the uncovered elements to a higher poetic level. According to the jury, all the elements in the work seamlessly fit together: ‘As a director, Osepa empowers his collaborating partners, restore the value of culture, while also delivering a technically outstanding work and staying true to his own story. With this work, and the rest of his highly refined oeuvre, Osepa can rival the artists at internationally high levels, presenting himself as a huge promise for the future.’
The other nominees for the prize were Fiona Lutjenhuis, Thierry Oussou en Buhlebezwe Siwani. The works of Osepa and the other contenders is on display in Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam until 15 March 2026, during the Prix de Rome exhibition.
Kevin Osepa ((1994, Willemstad) graduated in 2017 in Photography at HKU Media, where he currently works as a teacher. In his work, Afro-Caribbean spirituality, identity and colonial memory are central, often viewed from a personal and queer perspective. Through photography, video and installations he creates worlds in which supressed knowledge and rituals are brought to life again. Earlier, he also gained a Golden Calf (for Best Short Film) for La Ultima Ascensión.
