Sajid Wajid Sheikh awarded prestigious Henry Clews Prize

16 March 2026

Villa Swagatam resident and Indian artist Sajid Wajid Sheikh has been awarded the Henry Clews Prize 2026–2027, a prestigious distinction granted by the La Napoule Art Foundation. Awarded by invitation every two years, the prize supports a sculptor through a one-year residency at the Château de La Napoule in France, accompanied by a research and creation grant. The residency culminates in a summer exhibition presenting the works produced during the stay.

Created in honor of sculptor Henry Clews, founder of the Château de La Napoule, and his wife Marie Clews, founder of the La Napoule Art Foundation, the prize continues their vision of the château as a place dedicated to artistic freedom, experimentation, and international exchange. The programme brings the historic site to life as a space of creation, inspiration, and dialogue between artists, particularly in the field of sculpture, which was central to Henry Clews’ work.

Sajid Wajid Sheikh first visited the Château de La Napoule in autumn 2025 as a resident of Villa Swagatam’s second cohort. His selection for the Henry Clews Prize highlights the lasting artistic connections that can emerge from the programme’s residencies.

During his residency at La Napoule, Sajid developed a series of ceramic works inspired by the universe of Henry Clews, with whom he perceives both formal and conceptual affinities. His kinetic installations frequently employ machines as metaphors for systemic dysfunctions, while his drawings and paintings evoke cycles of conflict and violence. As part of the Henry Clews Prize, he will return to the Château de La Napoule for a year-long residency from September 2026 to September 2027. The works created during this period will be presented in a summer exhibition at the château in July and August 2027.