Today, TIME revealed its 2024 TIME100 Next list, recognizing 100 emerging leaders from around the world who are shaping the future and defining the next generation of leadership. Among the honorees are three groundbreaking visual artists: Jadé Fadojutimi, Sable Elyse Smith, and Lawrence Abu Hamdan.
Jadé Fadojutimi, a London-based painter of Nigerian descent, is known for her abstract works that make use of grids and lines against bright color fields and gestural marks. Represented by Gagosian since 2022, the artist explores personal transformation and identity through these large-scale works.“I believe I’m more than just a painter,” she told TIME.
Sable Elyse Smith, an interdisciplinary artist, was recognized for her work that investigates the American prison-industrial complex. A recent recipient of the Suzanne Deal Booth / Flag Art Foundation Prize, Smith exposes the deep psychological scars of incarceration. She brings to light the often overlooked emotional and societal impacts of the justice system in video, photography, and sculpture. Writing about Smith for the TIME list, author Mitchell S. Jackson called her “one of the carceral state’s most important critics.”
Lawrence Abu Hamdan, an audiovisual artist based in Beirut, was honored for his innovative use of sound to explore human rights and surveillance. Calling himself a “private ear,” Abu Hamdan investigates the politics of listening, using forensic audio techniques to uncover evidence in human rights cases and challenge state power. He runs Earshot, a nonprofit that gives a voice to otherwise silenced groups.
All three honorees were previously included in The Artsy Vanguard, Artsy’s annual list of emerging artists to watch. Smith was featured in 2018, Abu Hamdan in 2019, and Fadojutimi in 2020.
The magazine’s TIME100 Next issue features three global covers, highlighting singer-songwriter Sabrina Carpenter, NBA player Jaylen Brown, and Springboard to Opportunities CEO Aisha Nyandoro.
Of the changemakers on the list, TIME editor in chief Sam Jacobs wrote: “The TIME100 Next list was created to recognize that many of today’s most influential leaders are individuals who are not waiting long in life to make an impact. Nor are they eager to respect the status quo by following the traditional power structures and pathways that have determined what influence looked like in the past.”
