ArtReview published its annual Power 100 list, the magazine’s closely watched ranking of the most influential people in the art world, on December 4th. This year, the list is topped by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama, the first person from Africa to ever top the list.
Chosen by a panel of leading—but anonymous—art world experts, the Power 100 spotlights figures whose work over the past year has shaped the direction and discourse of contemporary art worldwide.
Mahama lives and works in Ghana. The 38-year-old artist’s ranking climbed from 14th in 2024. Over the past decade, he has become known for his monumental textile-based works, constructed from repurposed jute sacks and industrial materials. These works comment on labor and exploitation. Mahama has redirected his commercial success into building new cultural infrastructure in northern Ghana, including artist-run spaces, residencies, and educational initiatives, such as the Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art, Red Clay Studio, and Nkrumah Volini.
Like last year’s ranking, this year’s list underscores the growing influence of the Middle East in the art world. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, chairperson of Qatar Museums, climbed in rank to 2nd, up from 21st last year. Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, director of the Sharjah Art Foundation, topped the list last year; this year, she still holds a high position, ranking 3rd. Saudi Arabia’s minister of culture, Badr bin Abdullah Al Saud, ranks 21st, jumping up from 41st last year—a reflection of the continued expansion of the Gulf’s state-backed cultural infrastructure.
This year, artists hold 6 of the top 10 spots. Notably, last year’s highest-ranked artist, Rirkrit Tiravanija, dropped from 2nd to 11th. Artists in this year’s top 10 include:
- Egyptian artist Wael Shawky, ranking 4th, up from 6th last year.
- Singaporean artist and filmmaker Ho Tzu Nyen, ranking 5th, up from 72nd last year.
- American painter Amy Sherald, ranking 6th, up from 23rd last year.
- American artist Kerry James Marshall, ranking 7th, up from 8th last year.
- German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, entering the ranking at 10th.
The trio behind Hauser & Wirth—Iwan Wirth, Manuela Wirth, and Marc Payot, the presidents of the mega-gallery—are no longer the top-ranking gallerists, falling from 28th last year to 57th this year. The most influential gallerists, according to ArtReview, are kurimanzutto’s José Kuri and Mónica Manzutto, who rank 53rd, up from 69th last year. Gallerists whose ranking dropped this year include:
According to ArtReview’s analysis, this shift reflects broader upheaval in the traditional art economy, as museums and mid-tier galleries struggle with financial shortfalls. As a result, some patrons are filling these gaps, including the CEO of LVMH, Bernard Arnault, who has been placed at 56th on the list after not being featured last year; and fashion mogul Miuccia Prada, whose ranking jumped from 79th to 32nd.
