Nnena Kalu is a Glasgow-born artist whose sculptural installations and works on paper are rooted in repetition, rhythm and a sustained physical engagement with materials. Using tape, plastic tubing, fabric, paper and other everyday media, she builds tightly bound, coiled and layered forms that grow through accumulated gesture. Her sculptures often extend into the surrounding space, creating arrangements that feel charged with movement and energy.
Kalu has worked with London-based studio ActionSpace and her practice has developed within a supported studio environment for artists with learning disabilities. This context is integral to the way she works: her sculptures evolve through continuous making, with each piece shaped by the momentum of her process rather than a predetermined outcome.
Her work has been shown widely across the UK, including exhibitions at Studio Voltaire, The Tetley, Bournemouth Arts University, and Outside In at Pallant House Gallery. She has also been featured at Frieze London, where her live-working process formed a central part of her presentation.
Turner Prize 2025
In 2025, Kalu was awarded the Turner Prize, with the jury recognising the clarity and conviction of her approach and the distinctive sculptural language she has built over time. The award marks a significant moment in her career and highlights her contribution to contemporary British art. Alex Farquharson, chair of the jury and director of Tate Britain, commented,
“Nnena’s work was very much selected for its quality but given she’s a neurodiverse artist, given her verbal communication is limited, she’s someone who previously would have been on the outside. [Her win] begins to erase that border between the neurotypical and neurodiverse artist. You suddenly become aware that actually it’s been a boundary around our history and around contemporary art. But that boundary is dissolving.”
