Photoworks is pleased to announce the 2025 recipients of the fifth edition of the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards as Roman Manfredi and Sayuri Ichida.
The artists will receive a £15,000 award each (comprising £10,000 fee and £5,000 production budget) with a full package of support from Photoworks to create new work over a 12-month period. They will also be part of a joint UK touring exhibition including presentations with associated exhibition partners Ffotogallery (Cardiff), Barnsley Civic (South Yorkshire) and Street Level Photoworks (Glasgow) across 2025 and 2026 with more venues to be announced.
Launched in 2015, the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards are a biennial major commissioning opportunity open to all UK based artists using photography and within the first ten years of their career. The Jerwood/Photoworks Awards offer the awardees the opportunity to make ambitious new work and significantly develop their practice at a pivotal moment in their career. Previous recipients have included Joanne Coates, Heather Agyepong, Silvia Rosi, Theo Simpson, Alejandra Carles-Tolra, Sam Laughlin, Lúa Ribeira, Matthew Finn, Joanna Piotrowska and Tereza Zelenková.
Launched in 2015, the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards are a biennial major commissioning opportunity open to all UK based artists using photography and within the first ten years of their career. The Jerwood/Photoworks Awards offer the awardees the opportunity to make ambitious new work and significantly develop their practice at a pivotal moment in their career. Previous recipients have included Joanne Coates, Heather Agyepong, Silvia Rosi, Theo Simpson, Alejandra Carles-Tolra, Sam Laughlin, Lúa Ribeira, Matthew Finn, Joanna Piotrowska and Tereza Zelenková.
The panel who chose the two artists included:
Cindy Sissokho, Curator, Cultural Producer & Writer
Ingrid Pollard, Artist and Researcher
Louise Fedotov-Clements, Director of Photoworks
Lúa Ribeira, Photographer
Omar Kholeif, Director of collections and Senior Curator at Sharjah Art Foundation
Lucy Ash broadcast journalist and author
The artists will receive a £15,000 award each (comprising £10,000 fee and £5,000 production budget) with a full package of support from Photoworks to create new work over a 12-month period.
Sayuri Ichida is a Japanese artist based in Margate, UK. Her work explores themes of self-identity, personal memories, and life experiences, often focusing on the human form and sculptural objects to create thought-provoking images.
Sayuri’s commission is concerned with Japan’s population decline, particularly in rural areas, which has resulted in widespread school closures. This multimedia photography project aims to spotlight how depopulation impacts education and communities, fostering global awareness of the issue.
Roman Manfredi is a British lens-based artist who lives and works in London. Using analogue photography, moving image and sound, Manfredi’s work explores the intersections of personal narratives and political landscapes through the everyday lived experience.
Roman’s commission will delve into the unique cultural and social identity of a traditional third gender community native to Naples, Italy, living at the intersection of pagan traditions and Catholic rituals that shape and define them. Driven by a passion for amplifying working-class narratives, Manfredi’s work is deeply rooted in capturing underrepresented communities, experiences and identities, often with a particular emphasis on LGBTQ+ perspectives.
