Roman Manfredi and Sayuri Ichida Win 2026 Jerwood/Photoworks Awards with Projects Exploring Identity and Rural Decline
The 2026 Jerwood/Photoworks Awards have been awarded to Roman Manfredi and Sayuri Ichida, recognizing emerging photographers in the UK since 2015. Manfredi's work, TRA, delves into themes of identity, memory, and gender in Naples, whereas Ichida's Kūseki focuses on the closure of nearly 9,000 rural schools in Japan between 2002 and 2020. Both artists utilize mixed media to shed light on often-ignored aspects of life. The jury comprised Cindy Sissokho, Ingrid Pollard, Lúa Ribeira, Omar Kholeif, Lucy Ash, and Louise Fedotov-Clements. A traveling exhibition will commence at Drawing Room and Tannery Arts in London on 10 January 2026, and will run through Barnsley Civic, Ffotogallery, and Street Level Photoworks until 20 December 2026. These awards aim to support mid-career artists.
Key facts
- Roman Manfredi and Sayuri Ichida won the 2026 Jerwood/Photoworks Awards
- The awards were established in 2015 as a biennial platform for emerging UK photographers
- Manfredi's TRA explores Naples through identity, memory, and gender
- Ichida's Kūseki addresses the closure of nearly 9,000 schools in rural Japan between 2002 and 2020
- A touring exhibition runs from 10 January to 20 December 2026 across five UK venues
- The jury included Cindy Sissokho, Ingrid Pollard, Lúa Ribeira, Omar Kholeif, Lucy Ash, and Louise Fedotov-Clements
- Past recipients include Alejandra Carles-Tolra, Heather Agyepong, Joanne Coates, Joanna Piotrowska, Lúa Ribeira, and Silvia Rosi
- The awards provide financial support, mentoring, and exhibition opportunities
Entities
Artists
- Roman Manfredi
- Sayuri Ichida
- Alejandra Carles-Tolra
- Heather Agyepong
- Joanne Coates
- Joanna Piotrowska
- Lúa Ribeira
- Silvia Rosi
- Cindy Sissokho
- Ingrid Pollard
- Omar Kholeif
- Lucy Ash
- Louise Fedotov-Clements
- Simon Cartwright
Institutions
- Jerwood/Photoworks Awards
- Photoworks
- Jerwood Foundation
- Sharjah Art Foundation
- Drawing Room
- Tannery Arts
- Barnsley Civic
- Ffotogallery
- Street Level Photoworks
- Unseen Amsterdam
- PhMuseum Lab
- SPARK Art Fair
- Aesthetica Magazine
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Naples
- Italy
- Japan
- Cardiff
- Wales
- Glasgow
- Scotland
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Bologna
- Vienna
- Austria
- Tokyo
- New York
- USA
- Barnsley
- Sharjah