Scottish Sikh artist Jasleen Kaur shortlisted for prestigious Turner Prize

PTI

London, April 24

A Glasgow-born artist whose works are inspired by her life growing up in Scotland's Sikh community is among four artists shortlisted on Wednesday for Britain's prestigious Turner Prize, celebrating its 40th anniversary of celebrating the visual art form.

Jasleen Kaur, in her 30s, has been nominated for her solo exhibition entitled ‘Alter Altar' at Tramway contemporary arts venue in Glasgow. The London-based artist used a range of objects associated with her own family life for her artistic creations in the exhibition, praised by the jury for its evocative combination of sound and sculpture to address specifics of family memory and community struggle.

“Exploring cultural inheritance, solidarity and autobiography, Kaur created sculptures from everyday objects, each animated through an immersive sound composition, giving them an uncanny illusion of life,” reads the Turner Prize 2024 shortlist.

“Objects including family photos, an Axminster carpet, a vintage Ford Escort covered in a giant doily, Irn-Bru (Scottish drink) and kinetic hand bells were orchestrated to convey the artist's upbringing in Glasgow's Sikh community,” it notes.

Kaur has been shortlisted alongside artists Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson and Delaine Le Bas for the prize which will award the winner GBP 25,000, with GBP 10,000 each awarded to the other shortlisted artists. While the winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at Tate Britain on December 3, an exhibition of the works of all the shortlisted artists will be held at the museum in London from September 25 to run until mid-February 2025.

“It is an honour to announce such a fantastic shortlist of artists and I cannot wait to see their exhibition at Tate Britain this autumn. All four of them make work that is full of life,” said Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain and chair of the Turner Prize jury.

“They show how contemporary art can fascinate, surprise and move us, and how it can speak powerfully of complex identities and memories, often through the subtlest of details. In the Turner Prize's 40th year, this shortlist proves that British artistic talent is as rich and vibrant as ever,” he said.

Established in 1984, the Turner Prize is named after the radical painter JMW Turner (1775-1851) and is awarded each year to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work. It aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. 

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