Ivna Esajas Wins 13th ABN AMRO Art Award; Solo Exhibition Set for Stedelijk Museum
On May 13, 2025, Ivna Esajas won the 13th edition of the ABN AMRO Art Award. The jury cited her bold and poetic visual language at the intersection of drawing and painting, her use of interlocking figures and shifting perspectives drawn from art history and Black communities, and her ability to create space for silence and complexity. As part of the award, Esajas receives a €10,000 prize, a publication designed by Irma Boom, acquisition of work for the ABN AMRO Art Collection, and exhibitions at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam on March 6, 2026, as well as at the ABN AMRO Art Space in November 2025.
The Signal
The award highlights an artist who has deliberately worked outside institutional systems, underscoring a strategy that prioritizes the work itself over market visibility. For collectors and curators, the Stedelijk exhibition and collection acquisition signal an institutional validation that may elevate Esajas’ standing in the Netherlands while her intuitive process—balancing control and chance—offers insight into a practice rooted in Black feminist traditions and literature. The dual-venue presentation also reflects ABN AMRO and the museum’s ongoing commitment to supporting emerging female artists through sustained platforming rather than one-off recognition.
- Artists: Ivna Esajas
- People: Danila Cahen, Rein Wolfs
- Museums: Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
- Locations: Amsterdam
- Prices: €10,000
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