Nnena Kalu has made history as first-ever autistic artist to win Turner Prize.
According to CNN, the British Nigerian artist who produces large-scale draped sculptures and vortex-like circular drawings has become the first person with a learning disability to claim the Turner Prize, one of contemporary art’s most prestigious accolades.
Glasgow-born Kalu, is a learning-disabled artist with autism and limited verbal communication, was awarded the prize, previously won by prominent figures like Damien Hirst and filmmaker Steve McQueen, at a ceremony in Bradford, UK, on Tuesday, Decmeber 9.
Kalu took the stage and was joined by two representatives from ActionSpace, a charity whose studio appointed her as resident artist more than 25 years ago.
Addressing the audience on the 59-year-old’s behalf, the London-based organization’s head of artist development and Kalu’s studio manager, Charlotte Hollinshead, said she had “made history.”
Hollinshead said, “When Nnena first began working with ActionSpace in 1999, the art world was not interested. Her work wasn’t respected, not seen and certainly wasn’t regarded as cool. Nnena has faced an incredible amount of discrimination, which continues to this day, so hopefully this award smashes that prejudice away.”
Kalu other winning works, including Drawing 21 and HangingSculpture1-10, were commended by the jury for their lively translation of expressive gesture into sculpture and drawing, as well as their finesse of scale, composition, and colour.
