Maliha Abidi wins Ashmolean’s Vivien Leigh Prize

Maliha Abidi, (2025, Master of Fine Art), explained her award-winning piece reflected key themes in her practice, “feminism, identity, migration and women’s stories. The suspended figure, waves, and flowing hair suggest displacement, ancestry, femininity, and cultural memory. Together, they speak to how women carry and transform personal and collective histories, especially through a diasporic lens.

“When I received the news, I couldn’t believe it. I immediately called my father and my partner to share the moment with them. For most artists, entering any collection is a huge milestone, but for me this is much more than that. It is my first institutional collection, and for it to be in a museum at Oxford makes it even more special, as this is where I was studying. For this to happen when I was a student. I am truly grateful.”

The prize, judged by Dr John Chu, Keeper of Western Art at the Ashmolean Museum, is awarded for a two-dimensional work of art on paper by a student at Oxford University.

Red Waves will enter the Ashmolean’s collection and be accessible through the Western Art Print Room, whose holdings include prints and drawings by artists such as Michelangelo, Rubens, Ruskin and Degas

Maliha uses bold colour and a strong graphic style to explore social and cultural narratives, often highlighting underrepresented voices. Earlier this year, she exhibited an animation at London’s Outernet, reflecting the breadth of her artistic practice. (Link story)

The award comes as Maliha completes her Master of Fine Art, marking a significant moment in a year in which her practice has continued to explore identity and belonging.