Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama claims the top position on ArtReview’s Power 100, marking the first time an African creative leads the prestigious annual ranking of artworld influencers. This historic placement recognises Mahama’s dual impact as both a conceptual artist and a builder of sustainable art infrastructure that empowers other creators.
Historic Achievement for Ghanaian Artist
Mahama earned this distinction through his groundbreaking work with large-scale installations crafted from jute sacks and remnant textiles, including leftover materials from Ghana’s cocoa industry. He organises teams of collaborators to stitch these materials into massive quilts that drape over buildings, transforming architectural spaces into powerful commentaries on labour, extraction, and exploitation.
His position as number one reflects his unique approach to leveraging global art market success for local community benefit. The Ghanaian artist directs profits from his blue-chip gallery sales directly into institutional development in his hometown of Tamale, establishing three interconnected creative spaces.
Red Clay Studio Drives Community Transformation
At the heart of Mahama’s infrastructure project sits the Red Clay Studio, alongside the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA) and NkrumahVololii. These institutions host residencies, student projects, children’s workshops, and exhibitions, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem for artistic production and education.
As traditional museum and gallery models face funding crises worldwide, Mahama’s approach offers a viable alternative. He exemplifies how contemporary creators can seize control of both production and distribution, building parallel structures that operate independently of conventional art market constraints.
New Models Reshape Artworld Power Dynamics
This year’s top ten features multiple artists who, like Mahama, construct their own infrastructure. Egyptian Wael Shawky curates an art fair, while Singaporean artist Ho Tzu Nyen directs a biennale. Other influencers establish residency programs (Mark Bradford, Yinka Shonibare, Tracey Emin) and build art centres (Wolfgang Tillmans, Theaster Gates, Marina Abramović).
Groups like Forensic Architecture, blaxTARLINES, and Cercle d’Art des Travailleurs de Plantation Congolaise demonstrate similar innovation, reinventing distribution methods and audience engagement strategies. Many of these creators operate outside traditional commercial, governmental, and philanthropic centres.
Global Art Power Shifts to Gulf States and Private Foundations
The Power 100 shows increasing representation from Gulf States (Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud), reflecting massive resource investment in arts and culture. This institutional building serves dual purposes: diversifying carbon-centric economies and enhancing national brands.
As culture wars and austerity measures afflict traditional art centres like the US, Germany, and the UK, the Gulf emerges as a platform for artistic expansion. Simultaneously, major patrons including Miuccia Prada, Bernard Arnault, and François Pinault bypass traditional galleries by funding artists directly through private institutions and production funds.
Power 100 Captures Complex Social Ecosystem
The list confronts urgent issues of censorship and subjugation, highlighting artists, curators, and thinkers who engage with representation and technology. It asks what role art can play in an increasingly conflict-driven world.
A global panel of approximately 30 artworld professionals selects candidates based on three criteria: influence on current art production and exhibition, activity within the past 12 months, and impact that extends beyond local scenes. While many act locally, their influence resonates internationally. Through this methodology, ArtReview maps not merely an economic or aesthetic system, but a complex social network that shapes contemporary creativity.
