Nnena Kalu — À propos — Slash Paris

Nnena Kalu now holds a singular and vital position within the British contemporary art scene. Born in Glasgow and based in London, she has developed over more than two decades a body of work marked by remarkable intensity, grounded in physical commitment and an instinctive relationship with materials. Her victory at the 2025 Turner Prize confirmed what many already recognised: the clarity, strength and necessity of an artistic vision that stands on its own terms.

Kalu’s large scale sculptures unfold in space with an almost organic presence. Beginning from simple frameworks, she builds up layers of reclaimed fabric, plastic film, paper and magnetic tape, wrapping and binding them into dense, vibrant forms. Suspended or clustered, these structures suggest cocoons, nests or shifting constellations, each installation completed on site in direct response to its architectural surroundings.

Drawing plays an equally crucial role in her practice. On expansive sheets of paper, swirling fields of repeated marks emerge through sustained, rhythmic gestures. These vortex like compositions, often produced in pairs, function as visual echoes, records of movement and concentration where line becomes action and duration becomes visible.

Her work has been exhibited widely in major institutions in the United Kingdom and abroad. Notable presentations include Conversations at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool and at Cartwright Hall in Bradford, as well as Hanging Sculpture 1–10 shown as part of Manifesta in Barcelona. Her practice has also been featured at Studio Voltaire in London, where she has worked for many years, alongside other museums and contemporary art spaces committed to ambitious and forward looking practices.

Nnena Kalu’s work stands out for its directness and spontaneity. The artist, whose neurological condition limits verbal communication, develops a practice in which gesture and material become essential forms of expression. It resists explanation and spectacle, asserting instead a powerful sense of presence and intent. By awarding her the Turner Prize, the jury recognised an art that strips away excess and returns to something elemental, where meaning arises through making and beauty through persistence.