Nnena Kalu Makes History as First Learning-Disabled Artist to Win Prestigious Turner Prize

Nnena Kalu has officially made history. The Glasgow-born Nigerian artist has been named the winner of the 2025 Turner Prize, becoming the first learning-disabled artist to receive the UK’s most prestigious visual arts honor, Art Forum reports. The award comes with a £25,000 prize and cements Kalu’s place as a powerful force shaping contemporary art on a global stage.

Known for her bold, immersive visual language, Kalu creates large-scale swirling abstract drawings alongside hanging, cocoonlike sculptures crafted from repurposed fabrics and VHS tapes. Her work radiates movement, color, and texture, pulling viewers into worlds built through repetition, rhythm, and instinct. Kalu, who is autistic and largely unable to communicate verbally, has developed a deeply expressive practice that speaks volumes without saying a word.

Born in 1966, Kalu began making art in the 1980s and has continued to build her body of work for decades. Since 1999, she has created art at ActionSpace, a London-based nonprofit that supports disabled artists, where her practice has flourished and evolved. That long-term commitment to her craft is now being recognized on one of the art world’s biggest stages.

“The jury commended Kalu’s bold and compelling work, praising her lively translation of expressive gesture into captivating abstract sculpture and drawing,” said Tate, the London-based museum group that administers the prize, in a statement. “Noting her distinct practice and finesse of scale, composition, and color, they admired the powerful presence these works have.”

Kalu was selected by a jury that included Tate Britain director Alex Farquharson, independent curator Andrew Bonacina, Liverpool Biennial director Sam Lackey, National Gallery associate curator Priyesh Mistry, and Fitzwilliam Museum senior curator Habda Rashid. The award was presented during a ceremony at Tate Britain on the evening of December 9th.

The 2025 Turner Prize shortlist also included Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa, who will each receive £10,000. An exhibition featuring work by all four artists is currently on view at the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford, England, and runs through February 22, 2026.

Kalu’s win is more than a personal milestone. It is a powerful reminder that brilliance shows up in many forms and that creativity thrives when doors are opened wider. Her moment signals a future in which more voices, perspectives, and ways of making art are not only included but also celebrated.

Cover photo: Nnena Kalu Makes History as First Learning-Disabled Artist to Win Prestigious Turner Prize/Photo credit: James Speakman/PA Media Assignments/The Guardian