NNENA KALU
THE TURNER PRIZE 2025 BREAKS NEW GROUND
NAZLI KOK AKBAS ART EDITOR
GENEVA-SWITZERLAND
Nnena Kalu, celebrated for her hanging sculptures at Manifesta 15 in Barcelona and her dynamic drawings exhibited in Liverpool, won the 2025 Turner Prize. While the award honors her exceptional artistic achievements, it also symbolizes a broader shift in contemporary art, recognizing bold creativity that challenges conventions and inspires dialogue across the art world.
Nnena Kalu, Wrapping,Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery,the Artist and ActionSpace,2019, Photo credit Jules Lister
The Turner Prize has long been associated with pushing boundaries, and this year it took this further by affirming that powerful contemporary art is not defined by conventional training, academic language or neurotypical norms. Kalu’s work speaks through instinct, repetition and presence. It demands to be felt, not decoded.
Nnena Kalu, Wrapping,Courtesy of Humber Street Gallery,the Artist and ActionSpace,2019, Photo credit Jules Lister
Nnena Kalu‘s victory is a meaningful reminder of the invisible labour that goes into inclusion. For years, ActionSpace provided steady support and championed her work, long before major institutions took notice.
Photo Courtesy for The Times Newspaper
This year, the Turner Prize recognises commitment and demonstrates how expanding access can enrich culture.
Congratulations, Nnena Kalu! Well deserved!
Nazli Kok Akbas, Art Editor, Geneva, Switzerland
