Ghanaian Artist and PhD student in Painting and Sculpture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ibrahim Mahama, has become the first African to top ArtReview’s prestigious Power 100 list, the influential annual ranking of the most powerful figures in contemporary art.
The 2025 list was released on December 4, 2025.
Mahama, 38, climbs from 14th place in 2024 to number one, an unprecedented achievement that positions both Ghana and KNUST at the centre of global contemporary art discourse.
ArtReview’s Power 100 list, curated by an international panel of experts, recognises individuals whose work over the past year has had significant impact on artistic innovation, cultural infrastructure, institutional development, and global conversations on art.
As a PhD candidate in Painting and Sculpture at KNUST, Mahama continues to deepen the academic foundations of his practice, exploring the philosophical, historical, and material dimensions of artmaking.
Globally, he is renowned for his monumental installations crafted from repurposed jute sacks and industrial materials works that interrogate labour, migration, trade histories, and collective memory.
These installations have appeared in major museums, biennials, and public spaces across Africa, Europe, and North America.
Despite his international stature, Mahama remains firmly connected to academic life, serving as an exemplar of how artistic scholarship can intersect with social transformation.
Mahama has transformed Ghana’s northern creative landscape through major cultural projects built from his artistic proceeds. These include: Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA), Red Clay Studio and Nkrumah Volini.
Together, these spaces have become hubs for artistic experimentation, archival work, curatorial projects, youth training, and community learning. They form one of the most dynamic artist-led cultural ecosystems on the African continent.
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