Jury

Michelle van Wyk

Michelle Olga van Wyk is a qualified jewellery designer, maker and researcher. She is currently the Director of the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN) having been appointed in April 2023. Prior to joining the NAGN, she was a lecturer in the Applied Design department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) in Cape Town, South Africa from 2012 to 2023. She is also completing her doctorate in Art and Design at the University of Lapland, Finland. Her artistic research practice is focused on decolonising arts-based methods in learning spaces and mentorship through artistic research and exploration of alternative materials. While working as a design lecturer at CPUT, Michelle served on various design committees and participated in several design-based projects including the Participatory Design with Youth (PARTY) project funded by Horizon 2020 MSCA RISE (2015-2019) with partners based globally in Italy, UK, Namibia and Finland. She is motivated by design innovation and collaborations across sectors and nations, through plural and non-traditional approaches. Michelle is a child of the African sun exploring her creative identity on the deckle edges of design.