Four artists, each with distinct and thought-provoking works, have been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2025, one of the most prestigious awards in the art world. Among them is Mohammed Sami, a painter whose past includes creating propaganda murals for Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq before fleeing as a refugee. Sami’s work now explores themes of war and the boundary between reality and imagination, and he is being recognized for his solo exhibition After the Storm at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.
Born in Baghdad, Sami, 40, pursued his artistic education at the Belfast School of Art and Goldsmiths College in London. His paintings, including those in After the Storm, reflect on the history of Sir Winston Churchill’s birthplace, drawing on themes of conflict, particularly referencing Iraq. One of Sami’s works, for example, features a shadow of a helicopter blade looming over an empty table and chairs, while another subtly evokes the image of body bags. “My paintings seek to capture the state of confusion that occurs because of the cut thread between reality and the imagination; between war narrated and war witnessed,” Sami has explained.
The shortlist also includes British artist Rene Matic, 27, whose work delves into themes of identity and belonging, particularly through the lens of British Jamaican “rudeboy” culture. Matic was praised for presenting “an intimate and compelling body of work” that includes personal photographs, sound installations, and an ongoing collection titled Restoration, which features antique black dolls “salvaged” from various sources.
Matic’s work offers commentary on the broader experiences of a young generation navigating identity and community, often juxtaposing elements of personal history with socio-political concerns.
London-based artist Nnena Kalu, born in Glasgow in 1966, is another nominee. Known for her large-scale abstract sculptures, Kalu uses a variety of repurposed materials such as fabric, rope, and VHS tape. She was nominated for her striking installation Hanging Sculpture 1-10, created for the Manifesta 15 Biennale in Barcelona. These sculptures, suspended in an industrial space, are a testament to Kalu’s “unique command of material, colour, and gesture” and her deep understanding of architectural space.
The final nominee is Zadie Xa, 41, a Canadian artist whose work draws on her Korean heritage and its spiritual rituals, shamanism, and textile traditions. Xa’s exhibition Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes was developed with Spanish artist Benito Mayor Vallejo and presented at the Sharjah Biennial in the UAE. The installation includes a mobile sculpture of 650 brass bells and a sound element inspired by the Korean exorcism dance Salpuri, offering a deep sensory experience that merges sound, movement, and cultural memory.
The winner of the Turner Prize 2025 will be announced on December 9 at a ceremony in Bradford. The prize, which recognizes exceptional contemporary artists, comes with a £25,000 award for the winner and £10,000 for each of the other shortlisted artists.
Last year’s Turner Prize was awarded to Scottish artist Jasleen Kaur, whose work included placing a doily on a car, a piece that engaged with themes of domesticity and identity.
The Turner Prize exhibition will be held at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery from September 27, 2025, to February 22, 2026, as part of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations.
