HARI LUALHATI WINS
Most Innovative Contribution in the Visual Arts
Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards 2026
9 September 2026 | Artscape Theatre, Cape Town
✨ A deeply meaningful moment of recognition, gratitude and celebration. ✨
On 9 September 2026, I had the great honour of attending the Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards at the beautiful and iconic Artscape Theatre in Cape Town, where I was incredibly grateful to receive the award for Most Innovative Contribution in the Visual Arts Discipline. 🏆✨
This is a moment I will treasure deeply.
The Western Cape Cultural Affairs Awards are hosted annually by the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport (DCAS) to recognise and celebrate excellence and meaningful contributions across the province’s cultural landscape. The awards honour individuals and organisations working across arts, culture, language, heritage, libraries, museums and archives, and have been recognising significant contributions in the Western Cape since 1999. The Western Cape Government describes the ceremony as a highlight on its annual calendar. (Western Cape Government)
Being recognised among so many remarkable individuals, organisations and cultural contributors made the evening particularly special for me.
The ceremony was attended by Western Cape Minister of Cultural Affairs and Sport Ricardo Mackenzie and Head of Department Guy Redman, and celebrated an extraordinary range of contributions to the cultural life of our province.
To be standing in that room, surrounded by people who have dedicated so much of themselves to culture, creativity, heritage and the arts, was truly an honour.
And then hearing my name announced as the recipient of the Most Innovative Contribution in the Visual Arts Discipline was a moment I will never forget. ❤️
I am deeply grateful to the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, the Western Cape Government, the South African Government, the judges, and everyone involved in making this recognition possible. Thank you for seeing my work, for recognising what I create, and for appreciating my Soulworks.
This recognition means more to me than I can fully put into words.
My Soulworks have always come from a very personal place. They are created slowly, thoughtfully and from the heart, through moments of reflection, faith, love, self-discovery and those quiet Aha moments that are sometimes difficult to explain with words.
For me, creating has never been only about making an image.
It is about sharing something that comes from within and allowing it to travel beyond me.
Perhaps that is why this recognition feels so meaningful. It reminds me that something created quietly in my studio, from a place of feeling and sincerity, can reach another person and create a connection.
And that is one of the greatest gifts of being an artist.
The evening itself was beautiful in so many ways. The magnificent setting of Artscape Theatre, the wonderful food, the performances, the celebration of so many exceptional people, and the joy of witnessing others being recognised for the contributions they have made.
But perhaps what touched me most were the people.
The warmth, kindness, conversations, smiles and genuine connections I experienced throughout the evening are memories I will carry with me. ❤️
I left that beautiful evening with a heart full of gratitude.
I am grateful not only for the award, but for the journey that brought me to this moment.
Every painting, every drawing, every struggle, every lesson, every quiet moment in the studio and every person who has supported my journey has somehow become part of this story.
And now, this beautiful recognition has become part of it too. 🏆✨
I receive this award with a deeply grateful heart, and with renewed inspiration to continue creating more Soulworks from the heart. 🎨❤️
My greatest hope is that when you encounter my Soulworks, they may bring a little inspiration into your life, make you pause and feel something, or perhaps create a small connection with your own heart.
Because for me, Soulworks have always been about more than creating an image.
They are about sharing something from within and hoping that, somehow, it finds its way into another heart.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for this beautiful recognition.
Thank you for believing in what I create.
Thank you for seeing the heart behind my Soulworks.
I am truly, truly grateful. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️❤️❤️✨
With love and gratitude,
Hari Lualhati
Visual Artist
P.S. If you are interested to own one of my SOULWORKS, feel free to send me a private message. ❤️❤️❤️
#HariLualhati
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