Nnena Kalu becomes first artist with a learning disability to win Turner prize

Chair of 2025 judging panel says win ‘begins to erase that border between the neurotypical and neurodiverse artist’

Nnena Kalu’s embodied, sensuous art makes her a worthy Turner prize winner

Nnena Kalu has won the 2025 Turner prize for her colourful drawings and sculptures made from found fabric and VHS tape, becoming the first artist with a learning disability to take home the £25,000 prize.

Alex Farquharson, chair of the jury and director of Tate Britain, said the win by the British-Nigerian represented a watershed moment for the international art world.

“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,” he said.