Meet the 2025 Top 12 ANNA Award Finalists!
This year's ANNA Award brought in over 800 applications from 38 countries. Our esteemed selection committee is hard at work deciding on a winner from the 2025 Top 12 Finalists, who we are beyond excited to present to you:
Azola Kingston (USA/SA), Amy Rusch (South Africa), Chigozie Obi (Nigeria), Fetelework Tadesse (Ethiopia), Chinecherem Peace Ifedilichukwu (Nigeria), Aleruchi Kinika (Nigeria), Reem Aljeally (Sudan), Naledi Maifala (Botswana), Tinyiko Makwakwa (South Africa), Haneem Christian (South Africa), Doaa Fakher (Egypt), Andriarimanjaka Dina Nomena (Madagascar).
VOTE for your favourite artist to win the Audience Award, and you could stand a chance to win a Latitudes Limited print by Ethel Aanyu, a previous ANNA Award Top 12 Finalist. Ts&Cs apply.
The 2025 ANNA Award winner has been announced! Congratulations, Naledi Mafiala!
Aleruchi Kinika
Aleruchi Kinika (b.1997) is a visual artist living in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Her mediums include photography, writing and pen on paper drawing. She started photography in order to preserve her culture and understand her identity. Her works explore individual storytelling through an intersection of surrealism and chiaroscuro. She aims to express deep seated emotions and cultural values through storytelling in effective and exciting ways.
Kinika’s work also highlights femininity, beauty and fashion and is deeply inspired by cinema and baroque techniques which involves the play of light and shadows to further dramatize her subjects and drive her story. She expresses her personal struggles, passion and joy as well as those found around her in her daily life with the use of photographs.
Kinika has showcased her work in both local and international group exhibitions such as Polaroid x Magnum Real Life is not Black & White, Paris Photo Fair and Divergence, 1952 Africa, Lagos Nigeria. Kinika has participated in two art residencies which are Divergence, 1952 Art Accelerator Programme. Lagos, Nigeria and Alternative Heritage by StoryMi x French Embassy in Nigeria x The Republic Magazine. Ibadan, Nigeria.
"It feels deeply exhilarating, and I am grateful to be part of this." - Aleruchi Kinika
Amy Rusch
Amy Rusch is an artist working across disciplines and mediums. She’s been exploring a vibrational expression of mark-making, using stitched thread into layers of found plastic bags.
”Cutting, stitching, heating, pulling, binding, gathering, layering – these practices demand their own rhythm, by turns slow and meticulous then quick, fast interventions. The motions enacted in making provide a retrospective link to the embodied experiences, transmuted in the process. The machine stitching into plastic is not about replicating an experience, an object, or anything formally understood. The process is about sitting with the remnants of man-made materials; human time in contrast to the elemental and deep time.”
Recent exhibitions include presentations at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2025 and FNB Art Joburg 2024 with Suburbia Contemporary. Amy presented a solo body of work with SMAC gallery in 2022 titled Seeing with a Listening Ear, a culmination of 3 years of making. She exhibited at the Norval Foundation as part of the Norval Sovereign African Art Prize 2023 finalists exhibition. She has shown work at the Pretoria Art Museum, Iziko South African National Gallery as well as the Zeitz MOCAA.
"As an artist whose practice began with threads passed down from my maternal great grandmother and the female makers in our family, It's an extraordinary honour for this to be validated by being selected as a finalist for the ANNA award. Working with these threads feels like it's keeping a lineage alive." - Amy Rusch
Azola Kingston
Azola Kingston is a self-taught visual artist born in 1994 in Philadelphia, USA, and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her work is a bold celebration of Blackness. Through vibrant colour and layered composition, she honours the richness of African life - its people, its traditions, its spirit.
Her current range explores the idea of a seat at the table: not as invitation, but as affirmation. Her work insists that African art, stories, and voices are central to the cultural conversation, not because they echo others, but because they carry their own undeniable weight.
She draws beauty from community: shared meals, everyday rituals, generational wisdom, unspoken knowing. Her work brings light to the untold narratives of Black and African contribution, ones that deserve not only to be acknowledged, but celebrated.
Each piece tells a story that’s been waiting to be seen: a story of pride, presence and power. It doesn’t whisper. It doesn’t wait. It arrives. Vivid, vital, and impossible to ignore.
“Being an ANNA Awards finalist affirms that the way I honour our lives, in bold colour and unapologetic truth, has weight. These stories aren’t just mine. They’re echoes of a greater beauty, long overlooked, now impossible to ignore. The ANNA Awards remind me that what I create isn’t just seen. It’s felt and it belongs. - Azola
Chigozie Obi
Chigozie Obi (b. 1997) is a multidimensional artist whose practice engages various materials to narrate stories influenced by personal and societal encounters. Themes such as the complexities and simplicity of human life, interpretations of beauty, cultural and societal narratives especially concerning women, mental health, activism, community, documentation, self-acceptance and healing deeply resonate with her and are reflected in her work. These themes are not only reflective of her personal journey but also serve as a bridge to connect with others who share similar experiences.
Obi obtained a bachelors degree of Visual Arts from the Creative Arts department, University of Lagos in 2017. Her work has been featured in several exhibitions and fairs, which include, ‘1-54 Marrakech’, Morocco (2025), ‘In Stillness of Being’, Yenwa Gallery, Lagos, Nigeria (2024), ‘Celebrating Identities’, AG18 Gallery, Vienna, Austria (2024), ‘Young Talents: Polymathic Nature’, C+N Gallery CANEPANERI, Genoa, Italy (2023), ‘Future Fair’, New York (2023), ‘Unity’, Vollery Gallery, Dubai (2022), 'Intersections’, Gallery Affinity, Lagos, Nigeria (2021). She won the Access Bank 'Art X Prize’ (2021), is one of the winners of The Future Awards Prize For Art (2021) and was a residency artist at Gasworks, London (April - June 2022).
“I feel thankful and honoured to be selected as an ANNA Award finalist, recognition is always a nice reminder that my work is paying off and resonates with others." - Chigozie Obi
Chinecherem Peace Ifedilichukwu
Chinecherem is a community-based textile artist whose practice serves as both a creative outlet and a reflective space for acknowledging personal emotions and the lived realities of women. Her journey into the world of art began when she was offered admission to study Fine and Applied Arts, a pivotal moment that awakened a profound and enduring passion.
In 2017, she graduated as the Best Graduating Student in the Department of Industrial Design (Textile) at the School of Arts, Design, and Printing Technology, Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu. Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including the 2025 Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Art Exhibition, Lagos, 2025 “Patronage”, +234 Art fair
Exhibition, Lagos, 2025 Rele Arts Foundation Young Contemporaries Exhibition, Lagos and the 2021 My View From the Other Side: Dreams/Reality exhibition at the Embassy of Spain, Abuja.Winner 2024 Kuenyehia Prize for Contemporary Art, Ghana.
She is also a 2024 Fellow of both the Rele Arts Foundation Young Contemporaries Residency in Ekiti State and the Kuta Art Residency in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Chinecherem’s practice continues to evolve as a dynamic dialogue between tradition and innovation; personal narrative and collective memory each work a testament to the power of art in preserving identity and inspiring transformation.
“Being shortlisted is a moment of recognition, an invitation for others to experience my work, understand my perspective, and step into my world of creativity and expression and I’m deeply honored to be counted among such inspiring talents." - Chinecherem Peace Ifedilichukwu
Dina Nomena
Dina Nomena Andriarimanjaka is a Malagasy visual artist, designer, and researcher whose transdisciplinary practice bridges memory, textile, and resistance. Rooted in an Afrofeminist and decolonial approach, her work explores untold stories, particularly those of women, through archival fragments, fabric remnants, embroidery, and poetic storytelling. Her creations embody a slow, conscious process, sewing, weaving, layering, reflecting care, transmission, and the intimate link between textile and identity. Often inspired by Malagasy matrimony (women’s heritage) and cultural rituals, her installations create a space for dialogue between past and present, individual and collective memory.
"To be an ANNA Award finalist is to receive a space to silent stories, to stitch presence where absence once reigned. It is a recognition that the forgotten women I honour through thread and fabric were there, and are still here, speaking softly through every layer, every seam." - Dina Nomena
Doaa Fakher
Doaa Fakher is a contemporary Egyptian artist born in Cairo in 1992. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Art Education from Cairo University (2012) and a Master’s degree in African Arts from Helwan University (2020), where she researched major challenges facing Africa. Her work explores human and societal issues, often depicting anonymous, distorted figures that reflect emotional and psychological states shaped by social injustice. Using thick layers of acrylic and oil paint, silkscreen, and occasional sculpture, Fakher expresses internal emotions through the human body as a symbol of vulnerability and resilience.
Her artistic practice was shaped by studying African artists who critically addressed their continent and diaspora experiences, merging these perspectives with her own context in North Africa. Fakher has participated in many national and international exhibitions, including the Youth Salon at Cairo Opera House (2016–2017), the Luxor International Painting Symposium, the AKAA Art Fair in Paris (2021), and the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in London and Marrakech (2020). She has held solo shows at Townhouse Gallery (2018) and Ubuntu Art Gallery (2023, 2025). Her work has earned multiple awards and is part of the Museum of Modern Egyptian Art collection. She is represented by Ubuntu Art Gallery in Cairo.
"Being selected as a finalist for the ANNA Award is a quiet reminder that when the inner voice is shared through art, it can open space for dialogue across borders. I believe painting is a space to reflect, to face what cannot be fixed, and to give form to social pain — not as a solution, but as an honest presence. As an Egyptian artist working from the heart of Cairo, I take the human being as the measure of all things, and I search for shared meaning within the uncertain, complex condition of being alive." - Doaa Fakher
Fetlework Tadesse
Fetlework Tadesse, also known as Fela, was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She graduated from Entoto Technical and Vocational Education Training College with a diploma in Fine Arts specialising in sculpture in 2004. Later, she pursued painting at Addis Ababa University Ale School of Fine Arts and Design, where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in painting in 2019.
Fela has actively participated in various group exhibitions since 2004, showcasing her work at prestigious venues such as the Ethiopian National Theatre, Ethiopian National Museum, Ethiopian Royal Palace, and Entoto Fine arts. She has also been featured in numerous events at Sheraton Addis Hotel, Hilton Hotel, and Skylight Hotel, as well as group art exhibitions at Red Door Art Gallery, Addis Fine Art, and Post Gallery.
In 2023, Fela held her debut solo exhibition at Findika Cultural Center, and her artwork is represented by postgalleryet. She also showcased her work at Booth ALT 12 at the Investec Cape Town Art Fair in 2024.
Fela had the honor of exhibiting her pieces in Ethiopia and internationally, including a duo solo show at the Addis Ababa Modern Art Museum (GKDM) in March 2025.
Fela's artistic style is characterized by semi-realistic depictions using brush stroke techniques, often featuring self-portraits that reflect her attitude and daily life routine. She draws inspiration from observing everyday life, mundane patterns, body movements, fashion trends, and controversial ideas, which she incorporates into her art through question and answer sessions with herself. Colors, forms, and body gestures serve as key inspirations for her work, allowing her to explore anatomy and structure while painting emotions and attitudes. This July 18, 2025 she's part of “Roots and wings” a group exhibition at Stuttgart, Germany curated by Tesfaye Urgessa internationally acclaimed artist.
"I’m honoured to be chosen as a finalist. This recognition feels like a meaningful milestone in my artistic journey, and I'm grateful for the opportunity it brings." - Fetlework Tadesse
Haneem Christian
Haneem Christian is an archivist and filmmaker from Cape Town, South Africa exploring Pan African history through the lens of Queerness. Working through lens-based media, their practice centres African narratives, histories and storytelling – holding community as sacred, divine and critical to their photographic ethics. Christian understand their practice as a critical narrative justice tool.
Christian has exhibited in notable exhibitions such as International Cape Town Art Fair, 1-54 New York, AKAA, Latitudes, Unseen photo Fair, and Taylor Wessing at the National Portrait Gallery, London. In February 2022, Christian was announced as the winner of the Pride Photo Award 2022. After completing a residency with Magnum Photos, Christian was awarded the National Portrait Taylor Wessing Portrait Award 2022. In 2023, Christian was awarded an Artist grant from the British Council with which their first docu-art film “Eyes to See” was made and will premiere in London at the BFI Flare Film Festival in March 2025. In 2024 Christian was selected to do an artist residency with UK based organisation Doc Society, photographed an international Nike Campaign and screened a film they directed at the National Arts Festival South Africa. Christian started this year by exhibiting their work at the Cape Town International Art Fair and screening their first docu-art film funded by the British council at the the BFI Flare Film festival 2025.
Bubblegum Club Magazine states, “Haneem is one of the leading forces of the South African future”.
“My work exists within a lineage of visual resistance shaped by generations of African Queer women and gender-diverse people. Being named an ANNA Award finalist is not only a witnessing of my practice, but an honouring of the legacy I've inherited." - Haneem Christian
Naledi Maifala
Naledi Maifala is a Botswana-based contemporary expressionist painter whose work explores stillness and contentment. She began painting in 2007 during her junior years and transitioned to professional art in 2022. Her artistic vision is rooted in the theme “Just as Petals Fall, Life Too Fades”—a metaphor for presence, impermanence, and the fleeting nature of life.
Focusing on mind-soothing surroundings, her subjects include domestic animals, garden flowers, sentimental objects, and people who embody serenity. Fascinated by the journey of inner contentment, Naledi believes external surroundings can also stimulate this experience. With her photography skills, she captures moments of solitude, later translating them onto canvas with acrylic paints. Her brushstrokes balance intuition and intention, using light, texture, and colour to shape mood and storytelling.
Naledi has participated in several group exhibitions in Botswana, including Dikgosigadi Exhibition, Women Create Love Exhibition, and Heart Scape in Nigeria, just to name a few. Through her work, she hopes to inspire appreciation for life’s simplicity, alleviating the pressures of constant striving. She envisions her art as a meditative space for spiritual, psychological, and emotional well-being.
“Being a finalist means so much to me; it’s an affirmation of my voice, my vision, and the themes I explore, especially the idea of being present and content. It encourages me to keep creating from a place of stillness and truth. I’m honoured to be part of a platform that values inclusivity, care, and authentic expression." - Naledi Maifala
Reem Aljeally
Reem Aljeally (b. 1997) is a multifaceted artist whose work integrates architecture, visual arts, and curation. She is the Founder of The Muse multi-studio (2019) and The Sudan Art Archive (2022), aiming to support, promote, and preserve the visual arts in Sudan. Her artistic practice focuses on painting, installation, and printmaking, exploring themes of movement, space, memory, and self-image. She has exhibited internationally in Germany, Spain, Russia, Portugal, the United States, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. Currently, she leads the Artists Development Program at Ubuntu Art Gallery in Cairo, continuing her artistic and curatorial endeavours.
“As a Sudanese artist with a diverse practice, being one of the 12 finalists of the ANNA Award is more than just recognition; it’s proof of perseverance and acknowledgement of my work and voice as a woman. I am beyond thrilled to be included in this community where I can expand on my explorations and further push the advancement of my creativity." - Reem Aljeally
Tinyiko Makwakwa
Tinyiko Makwakwa explores cultural materiality as a visual language through Textile Totems and Beaded Talisman, which are woven to be a fabric in and of themselves.
A deep care and focus on Matrilineal Methodologies: as an artistic value, spiritual practice and rituals that promote circularity through African Indigenous practices, linking ties between how cultures are both built and sustained, how indigenous stories are written down for eyes that can read the scaredness cultural and spiritual stewardship. Through the incorporation of African indigenous voices, perspectives and lived experiences as an indigenous science, they embody ways of knowing that are rooted in ancestral knowledge systems as valid as science. In the same ways our environments have adapted, our indigenous knowledge systems have adapted as a science in and of itself- an African indigenous science.
“As Arundhati Roy says: "Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." - Tinyiko Makwakwa
Further Reading In Articles
African Artist Directory