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Pamplemousses Garden
Pamplemousses Garden

Mauritius Students Prize

Entries for The Mauritius Students Prize are open!

 

Click here to enter the prize, entries close on 15 August 2025.

How To Participate

01

Nomination

Participating students must be nominated by their teacher. Teachers can nominate up to 10 students to enter. Upon entry, students will be asked to enter the name of their nominating teacher.

Click here for T&Cs.

 

02

Artwork Submission

Nominated students can submit up to three artworks online before the submission deadline. Please follow the entry instructions in the T&Cs.

Our panel of judges will then select 30 student artists for the shortlist.

03

The Prizes

The Judges Prize of Rs20,000 is awarded to the student artist with the highest score from the judges. Rs35,000 is awarded to the school of the Judges Prize winner.

The Public Vote Prize of Rs15,000 is awarded to the student artist with the most votes from the public. Rs25,000 is awarded to the school of the Public Vote Prize Winner.

Celebritea Key Dates mobile image

Key Dates

Submission Period

7 April — 15 August

Shortlist Announcement

— September

Finalists Exhibition

October 2025 — February 2026

Awards Ceremony

— February 2026

Events and Exhibitions

To be announced.

Judges

Heidi Erdmann image
Heidi Erdmann
Art historian and Curator
Heidi Erdmann image

Heidi Erdmann

Art historian and Curator

Heidi Erdmann is art historian and curator based in Cape Town, South Africa. With a long-
standing entanglement with contemporary photography, she has made significant contributions to the art world as the founder of two successful commercial entities. Her curatorial vision and deep engagement with the visual arts have earned her national and international recognition and most of her projects are documented as published articles and/or exhibition catalogues. She is the author of the widely acclaimed art book Manfred Zylla: Art and Resistance.

In 2018, she expanded her academic and professional horizons by retraining and completing an MA degree and a short course in Estate Law. This marked the beginning of Legacy, her platform dedicated to heritage and legacy projects, through which she continues to explore the intersections of art, memory, and cultural preservation. Her academic research focuses on decolonial practices within museums of the Global South. More recently, her intellectual curiosity has led her to the history of the Indian Ocean Slave Trade, where she investigates the role of syncretic music in shaping cultural identity. Erdmann’s work stands at the crossroads of art, history, and justice-bridging past and present, with an eye always on legacy.

Howard Bilton image
Howard Bilton
Founder and Chairman  
Howard Bilton image

Howard Bilton

Founder and Chairman  

Howard Bilton, a British-born entrepreneur and barrister, has made a multifaceted impact on tax advisory services, philanthropy, and the wine industry in Portugal and beyond. His ventures reflect a unique blend of business acumen and social responsibility, creating a lasting legacy in each sector he touches. 

Tax

As the chairman and founder of The Sovereign Group, Bilton has significantly influenced the tax landscape, particularly for expatriates and international businesses. The Group provides comprehensive tax planning and wealth management services, which help clients navigate complex tax systems. By doing so, it supports individuals and companies to optimize their tax positions within the legal framework, fostering an environment that is conducive to foreign investment and economic growth in Portugal. 

Charity

In the realm of charity, Bilton’s establishment of The Sovereign Art Foundation has made a notable impact on the local and international art scenes. The foundation not only recognizes and supports artists through awards and exhibitions but also raises substantial funds for charitable causes. A significant portion of its work is dedicated to using art as a medium for educational and healing purposes, particularly for disadvantaged children. Through these initiatives, Bilton has harnessed the power of art to make a tangible difference in the lives of many, providing both cultural enrichment and social support. 

 Wine

With Howard’s Folly, Bilton has ventured into the wine industry, intertwining the worlds of oenology and art. The winery is known for producing high-quality wines that reflect the rich terroir of Portugal, contributing to the country’s reputation as a producer of fine wines. Beyond the production, Howard’s Folly serves as a cultural destination, hosting art exhibitions and events that attract visitors from around the world. This unique concept not only promotes Portuguese wine but also elevates the cultural experience of wine tasting, setting a precedent for how wineries can engage with the arts. 

Overall Impact

Howard Bilton’s impact in the fields of tax, charity, and wine is characterized by a forward-thinking approach that leverages professional expertise to foster cultural and social development. By integrating his business endeavors with philanthropic goals, Bilton has shown that commercial success can go hand-in-hand with making a positive social contribution. His efforts have provided a model for sustainable development, showcasing how individual dedication to professional excellence and social responsibility can lead to broad and beneficial societal impacts. 

 

Malika Teeluck image
Malika Teeluck
Visual Artist and Art Therapist
Malika Teeluck image

Malika Teeluck

Visual Artist and Art Therapist

Malika is a Mauritian National and studied Arts in India. She is inspired by Nature and Women. Nature through iconic plants and animals in the context of human kind and women through patience, grace and beauty in a male dominated world. Glimpses of peace and tranquillity in a self-destructive world come out in her paintings through movements and sounds that can be deciphered within. These strong emotions and icons are painted using light non-contrasting colours that reflect shades & gradients without corrupting or directing the mind of the viewer. Her works are mostly compositions based on historical events like slavery and futuristic ones based on hindu mythology.

Malika exhibited her work abroad in India in 2011 for IFACS, in Paris in 2011 and in Reunion Island in 2010. She also did several Solo & Group exhibitions locally and is currently an active member of the NGO Carpe Diem Art therapy.

Meha Desai image
Meha Desai
Documentary Photographer and Writer
Meha Desai image

Meha Desai

Documentary Photographer and Writer

Meha Desai is a Mauritian-Indian documentary photographer and writer whose work engages with long-form storytelling, focusing on migration, labour, climate change, and the quiet resilience of communities often left at the edges of dominant narratives. With a background in English literature and art history, she approaches photography as both document and dialogue — a way of paying attention, of spending time, and of being in conversation with the lives she photographs.
Her work often centres on women — their migrations, rituals, and the everyday negotiations that shape their worlds — and traces how communities carry culture, memory, and meaning through shifting landscapes. Her process is grounded in fieldwork, long-term engagement, and careful attention to context.

Desai collaborates with NGOs, grassroots initiatives, ethical brands, and editorial platforms to create photographs and stories rooted in trust, consent, and care. Whether building a visual archive for a cultural project or documenting a public health campaign, her work stays close to the ground and to the people at its heart.

Her photography and writing have appeared in Harper’s Bazaar India, Whetstone, Magazine, Eater, and Goya Journal, and have been exhibited in Mauritius and internationally. Alongside her visual work, Desai fosters community through initiatives like Lasam Maron, a travelling library and platform for feminist and marginalised voices developed in partnership with resort, a collective of artists focused on care-based practices and alternative cultural production. She is also a co-curator at resort.

Revaa image
Revaa
Artist
Revaa image

Revaa

Artist

She was born in a family where Art, in its different forms manifested before her, whether it was theatrics, paintings or classical dance.

She received a Bachelor in Fine Arts (Interior Decoration) from the prestigious Sir J.J. School of Arts, Mumbai, India. Soon after, she started her career as an interior designer. Feeling drawn to painting and teaching, she eventually became an Art Educator, taking pride in sharing her
passion.

She has the ability to adapt to various techniques such as acrylics and mix media. Her artworks reflect a major influence of geometry and symbols of ancient societies.

She is continuously inspired by the positive energy flow around her, which resonates in her artworks and believes that there is no better teacher than life.

Sponsors and Supporters

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Organiser
Atlas-Life-Logo
Gold Sponsor
Bloomage-logo
Silver Sponsor

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists

2023

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists arrow
Judges’ Prize Winner
Yoshika Chumun
Yoshika Chumun art
Public Vote Winner
Tanya Kelly CHEUNG CHIN YAN
Tanya Kelly CHEUNG CHIN YAN art

2022

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists arrow
Judges Prize Winner
Ekesh Beeput
Ekesh Beeput art
Public Vote Prize Winner
Yeshna Cooberhising
Yeshna Cooberhising art

2021

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists arrow
Judges Prize Winner
Bibi Zaheerah Banu Toorabally
Bibi Zaheerah Banu Toorabally art
Public Vote Prize Winner
Naveniten Valleeamah
Naveniten Valleeamah art

2020

Prize Winners and Previous Finalists arrow
Judges Prize Winner
Aisha Akbar
Aisha Akbar art
Public Vote Prize Winner
Vanusha Kaully
Vanusha Kaully art