Autistic Scottish artist Nnena Kalu smashes Turner Prize 'glass ceiling'

Scottish artist Nnena Kalu won the Turner Prize on Tuesday, beating four other competitors, including an Iraqi painter, to claim one of the UK’s most prestigious contemporary art awards. Born in Glasgow, Kalu, 59, was recognized for her striking hanging sculptures created from wrapped materials such as fabric, rope, and tape. Her shortlisting has been described as “incredibly significant” by the British disability charity Sense.

The Turner Prize, established in 1984 to celebrate contemporary British art, honors artists born or based in the UK for exceptional exhibitions or presentations of their work. The prize is named after the English painter J.M.W. Turner, known for his experimental approach, and is organized by the Tate institution. Each year, the award sparks discussion about new directions in contemporary art.

Kalu’s work was praised by the jury for being “bold and compelling” and for the “powerful presence” her pieces convey. Charlotte Hollinshead, Kalu’s assistant, highlighted the artist’s long-standing perseverance in the face of stigma, noting, “Nnena has faced an incredible amount of discrimination, which continues to this day, so hopefully this award smashes that prejudice away. It’s seismic. It’s broken a very stubborn glass ceiling.”

The other shortlisted artists included Iraqi painter Mohammed Sami, British-born Rene Matic, and Canadian-Korean artist Zadie Xa, all based in London. Sami, 40, whose work explores memory and conflict in his war-torn home country, was considered a favorite by some commentators. Matic, 27, presents work combining photography, sound, and objects to explore themes of race, care, and vulnerability. Xa, 41, was nominated for her immersive installations featuring bells, seashell soundscapes, and painted walls, drawing on Korean shamanism and ocean folklore.

Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain and chair of the Turner Prize 2025 jury, emphasized that Kalu’s neurodivergence was not a factor in the decision. “It was interest in, and a real belief in, the quality and uniqueness of her practice, which is inseparable from who she is… whatever the artist’s identity is,” he explained.

The Turner Prize winner receives £25,000 ($33,300), while each of the remaining shortlisted artists is awarded £10,000. Christopher Turner, head of the architecture and design department at London’s V&A museum, described the prize as an important “launching pad” for emerging and mid-career artists, despite its occasional struggle to connect with the wider public.

Past recipients of the Turner Prize include celebrated names such as Gilbert & George, Anish Kapoor, Rachel Whiteread, Antony Gormley, Tracey Emin, Steve McQueen, and Damien Hirst. The award has often been controversial: Chris Ofili won in 1998 for incorporating elephant dung into his paintings, while Hirst displayed a rotting cow’s head in 1995, and Emin’s 1999 entry, My Bed, featured her unmade bed with stained sheets and personal items. Last year, Scottish artist Jasleen Kaur won with a solo exhibition that included a Ford Escort adorned with a giant doily, marking the prize’s 40th anniversary.