Tate has revealed the Turner Prize 2025 shortlist featuring artists Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa. Their works will be displayed in Bradford from September 2025 to February 2026, with the winner announced on 9 December. The prize is an important recognition of contemporary British art.
The Turner Prize 2025 shortlist has officially been announced by Tate, featuring four diverse artists: Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa. Their works will be showcased at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford from 27 September until 22 February 2026, coinciding with UK City of Culture events. The winner will be revealed on 9 December 2025.
Nnena Kalu hails from Glasgow and is a multimedia artist known for her sculpture, installation, and drawing. An autistic artist with limited verbal communication, Kalu uses found materials like VHS tape and clingfilm to create striking, cocoon-like sculptures. Her recent installations have gained recognition for their depth and beauty, particularly her work Hanging Sculpture 1 to 10 showcased in Barcelona, and her large drawing, Drawing 21, in a group exhibition in Liverpool.
At 27, Rene Matić is the second youngest artist shortlisted, right after Damien Hirst. This London-based photographer and poet is deeply engaged with themes of post-blackness and Jamaican rudeboy culture, which they explored in their solo exhibition As Opposed To The Truth in Berlin. Matić’s work bridges personal and societal narratives about race, gender, and class, aiming to critique the influence of right-wing populism through intimate imagery.
Mohammed Sami was born in Baghdad and is based in London. His experiences of the Iraq war and life as a refugee influence his poignant paintings. Sami’s award-nominated solo show After the Storm at Blenheim Palace featured large-scale works that tackle memory and grief in correlation with his memories of Iraq. He’s the only artist this year whose nomination comes solely from work exhibited in the UK.
Zadie Xa, a multimedia artist from Vancouver, draws from her Korean heritage to create installations rich with themes of diasporic culture and suppressed histories. Her nominated exhibition, Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes: Your Ancestors Are Whales, showcased a stunning piece called Ghost, made from over 1,000 brass bells. Along with this, she previously delivered a solo exhibition commissioned by the Whitechapel Gallery.
Established in 1984, the Turner Prize celebrates exceptional British art, named after the innovative painter JMW Turner. The winner will pocket £25,000, while other shortlisted artists will each receive £10,000. The jury for this year’s prize includes notable figures from various institutions, all keen to reward the contemporary British art scene.
The Turner Prize 2025 shortlist highlights a diverse group of artists tackling various themes, from cultural identity to the impact of war. With a public exhibition in Bradford set to commence this autumn, anticipation builds for the outcome on 9 December. As the prize continues to reflect contemporary artistic practices, it honours JMW Turner’s innovative spirit.
Original Source: www.standard.co.uk