tl;dr

  • The Jarman Award was established in 2008 to commemorate the life and work of the British filmmaker Derek Jarman.
  • Shortlisted artist Karimah Ashadu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2024.
  • The works of the shortlisted artists will tour major cultural venues in the UK and will also be exhibited at Whitechapel Gallery in London.

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Film London, the United Kingdom's foremost film and media agency, has announced the shortlist for the 2025 Jarman Award, which includes Silver Lion-winning artist Karimah Ashadu. Established in 2008 to commemorate the life and work of the forward-thinking British filmmaker Derek Jarman, the annual award carries a £10,000 monetary prize that is given to contemporary artists as a means of fostering their creative endeavors. This year's shortlist also includes: Arwa Aburawa and Turab Shah; Onyeka Igwe; Morgan Quaintance; George Finlay Ramsay; and Hope Strickland.

The selection of works for this year's edition of the Jarman Award covers a broad geographical expanse, ranging from the bustling city streets of Lagos and London to the idyllic rural landscapes of Italy and Algeria. Ashadu has been recognized for her video Machine Boys, a portrait of the hardships that okada [motorcycle] taxi drivers endure to earn a living in Lagos.

A Black man in sunglasses gritting his teeth and frowning at the camera, with men on motorcycles behind him.
Karimah Ashadu, Machine Boys, 2024. HD digital film, colour with 5.1 surround sound, single channel. 8 min. 50 sec. Courtesy of the artist and Sadie Coles HQ.

Born in the United Kingdom but of Nigerian descent, Ashadu exploits the wellspring of experience that proceeds from her dual heritage to delve into the painful legacy that remains from the European colonization of Africa. Each of her works deals with one of the many aspects of this post-colonial legacy, focusing on the labor and self-determination practices that are a function of the social, political, economic and cultural circumstances that dominate in Nigeria and its diaspora.

Last year's recipient of the Jarman Award – Maryam Tafakory – received the prize for her exploration of Iranian post-revolutionary cinema. The works of the shortlisted artists will tour major cultural venues in the UK and will also be exhibited at Whitechapel Gallery in London from November 18 – December 14, 2025. For more information visit the Film London site.

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