Khandakar Ohida wins 7th edition of Jameel Prize
Khandakar Ohida wins the Jameel Prize for her work on cultural heritage, as the ‘Jameel Prize: Moving Images’ exhibition showcasing shortlisted artists opens at the V&A South Kensington.
Khandakar Ohida at Jameel Prize: Moving Images, V&A South Kensington, 2024. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
The V&A and Art Jameel have announced Khandakar Ohida as the winner of the 7th edition of the Jameel Prize, a prestigious international award for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition. This year’s prize, which focuses on artists working with moving images and digital media, recognises Ohida’s film Dream Your Museum (2022). The work offers a deeply personal portrait of her uncle, Khandakar Selim, and his remarkable collection of objects, displayed in his traditional mud home, now demolished.
Installation view Khandakar Ohida at Jameel Prize: Moving Images, V&A South Kensington, 2024. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
In addition to the award, the winner of the Jameel Prize receives a £25,000 cash prize, recognising the artist’s outstanding contribution to contemporary art inspired by Islamic tradition. Alongside Dream Your Museum, Khandakar Ohida presents an installation featuring objects from her uncle’s collection, informally arranged in simple metal trunks. This unconventional display contrasts sharply with the orderly, authoritative structure of traditional museums. By presenting the objects in this way, Ohida challenges conventional museum practices and invites audiences to reconsider how cultural heritage can be exhibited—free from the confines of formal institutions.
Together, the film and installation offer a critical examination of museums’ colonial legacies while promoting a more inclusive vision of cultural representation and belonging.
Installation view Khandakar Ohida at Jameel Prize: Moving Images, V&A South Kensington, 2024. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Jameel Prize: Moving Images, which runs from 30 November 2024 to 16 March 2025, at the V&A, showcases the works of seven shortlisted artists: Khandakar Ohida, Sadik Kwaish Alfraji, Jawa El Khash, Alia Farid, Zahra Malkani, Marrim Akashi Sani, and the collective Rami Haerizadeh, Rokni Haerizadeh, and Hesam Rahmanian. These artists engage with themes such as ecology, spirituality, and the resilience of community histories, addressing how political dynamics and extractive industries shape the environmental and social fabric of the Middle East and South Asia. The exhibition will also tour to Cartwright Hall, Bradford, in 2025 as part of the UK’s City of Culture, and to Hayy Jameel in Jeddah. The Jameel Prize has consistently highlighted innovative contemporary practices rooted in the legacy of Islamic art, and this year’s focus on digital media emphasises the evolving ways in which artists engage with visual storytelling.
Date: 30 November 2024 - 16 March 2025. Location: V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL. Price: Free. vam.ac.uk.
