Helena Uambembe (b. 1994, Pomfret, South Africa) lives and works in Berlin. Her practice explores histories of displacement, memory, and identity, often drawing from personal and collective narratives to create works that are at once deeply intimate and politically resonant.

Uambembe’s work has been exhibited internationally, with solo presentations at Jahmek Contemporary Art in Luanda and Basel, The Cultural Institute of Radical Contemporary Arts (CIRCA) in Cape Town, and FNB Art Joburg in Johannesburg. She has also contributed to significant group exhibitions, including at Galerie im Körnerpark in Berlin, INCCA in Johannesburg, Goethe-Institut South Africa, and La Biennale de Lubumbashi VII in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Her practice has been recognised with prestigious awards, including the DAAD Visual Arts Fellowship (2023), the Baloise Art Prize (2022), and the David Koloane Award (2019). Most recently, she has been named an ars viva prize-winner and is featured in ars viva 2025. Where will we land?

Through her work, Uambembe investigates the fragile terrain between personal memory and collective history, tracing connections across borders and generations. Her voice continues to shape contemporary art dialogues in Africa, Europe, and beyond.

Source: Ars Viva