Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama has been recognized in the ‘Established Artists’ category at the inaugural Art Basel Awards 2025, celebrating his significant contributions to contemporary art through monumental installations and also community-driven initiatives.
Mahama, born in Tamale in 1987, creates large-scale installations from repurposed materials like jute sacks, wood, and metal. He transforms these materials, often marked by labor and trade, into evocative artworks that comment on globalization, migration, as well as the socio-economic history of post-colonial Ghana.
Beyond his artistic practice, Mahama is a fervent advocate for arts education and community engagement. He has also established several cultural institutions in Ghana, including the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA) in Tamale, Red Clay Studio in Janna Kpeŋŋ, and Nkrumah Volini, a renovated silo turned art space. These centers serve as hubs for artistic collaboration, research, and exhibitions, fostering a vibrant contemporary art scene in the region.
An international jury of leading museum experts selected the 2025 Medalists. Vincenzo de Bellis chaired the jury without voting, joined by notable members such as Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director of Sharjah Art Foundation; Elena Filipovic, Director of Kunstmuseum Basel; the late Koyo Kouoh, former Executive Director of Zeitz MOCAA; Jessica Morgan, Director of Dia Art Foundation, New York; Hans Ulrich Obrist, Artistic Director of the Serpentine, London; Adriano Pedrosa, Artistic Director of MASP; Suhanya Raffel, Director of M+ in Hong Kong; Franklin Sirmans, Director of PAMM; and Philip Tinari, Director of UCCA in Beijing.
Each year, the jury awards medals to individuals and organizations whose work shapes the future of the art world. Furthermore, the awards are presented in partnership with BOSS.
The Art Basel Awards 2025 celebrates an impressive and diverse group of artists as well as contributors across a wide range of categories. Below is the distinguished list of this year’s winners:
Icon Artists:
Joan Jonas, Adrian Piper, Betye Saar, Cecilia Vicuña, David Hammons, Lubaina Himid.
Established Artists:
Cao Fei, Delcy Morelos, Ho Tzu Nyen, Ibrahim Mahama, Nairy Baghramian, Tony Cokes.
Emerging Artists:
Lydia Ourahmane, Meriem Bennani, Mohammad Alfaraj, Pan Daijing, Saodat Ismailova, Sofia Salazar Rosales.
Cross-Disciplinary Creators:
Formafantasma, Grace Wales Bonner, Saidiya Hartman.
Patrons:
Joel Wachs, Maja Hoffmann, Shane Akeroyd.
Museums & Institutions:
Art + Practice, Jameel Arts Centre, Raw Material Company.
Curators:
Candice Hopkins, Eungie Joo, Shanay Jhaveri.
Media & Storytellers:
Barbara Casavecchia, Negar Azimi, The Journal of Curatorial Studies.
Allies:
Art Handlxrs*, Gasworks + Triangle Network, Sandra Terdjman.
