Nnena Kalu Wins 2025 Turner Prize

Nnena Kalu has been awarded the 2025 Turner Prize. She becomes the first artist with a learning disability to receive this prestigious recognition.

• Kalu is autistic and has limited verbal communication, making her achievement especially significant for representation and inclusion in contemporary art.

Awarded Work

• Kalu is known for her cocoon-like sculptural installations.
• Her works are created by twisting, swirling and knotting materials such as:
  • Found fabrics
  • VHS tapes
• These dynamic sculptures reflect her signature repetitive, process-based artistic method.

Path to Nomination

• She gained attention from the Turner Prize committee after showcasing one of her installations at Manifesta 15 (European Nomadic Biennial), held in Barcelona in 2024.
• This exposure led to her nomination for the £25,000 prize earlier this year.

About the Turner Prize

• Established: 1984
• Named After: British painter JMW Turner
• Eligibility:
  • British artists working in the UK, or
  • British-born artists working internationally
• Significance:
  • One of the world’s most influential visual arts prizes