Jasleen Kaur’s Scottish Sikh Community-Inspired Art Wins Turner Prize

Jasleen Kaur, an artist whose latest exhibition celebrates the Scottish Sikh community through elements like a vintage Ford Escort, worship bells, and Irn-Bru, has been awarded this year’s Turner Prize. The 38-year-old, who was raised in Glasgow, secured the accolade for her ‘Alter Altar’ exhibition, presented at Tramway, the city’s contemporary arts venue. The judging panel highlighted “the considered way in which she weaves together the personal, political and spiritual in her exhibition.” Kaur also received commendation for assembling “different voices through unexpected and playful combinations of material.” Actor James Norton presented the artist with the £25,000 prize at Tate Britain on Tuesday evening. She triumphed over fellow shortlisted nominees Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, and Delaine Le Bas. Kaur mentioned that she was unaware of the Turner Prize during her formative years, citing a lack of “cultural access.” She stated, “I have had so many messages today from people from the local Sikh community and from folk that I grew up with.” She further added, “Something like this that is so visible means a lot to a lot of different people.” “It means something to different groups and I’m up of representing all of them.” Kaur’s exhibition incorporates items such as family photos, an Axminster carpet, a vintage car draped in a giant doily, and kinetic handbells. Organisers of the Turner Prize observed that Kaur’s work delves into how cultural memory is embedded within the objects and rituals that surround us. The judges described ‘Alter Altar’ as a work that “reflects upon everyday objects, animating them through sound and music to summon community and cultural inheritance,” thereby creating a “visual and aural experience that suggests both solidarity and joy.” Kaur pursued studies in silversmithing and jewellery at the Glasgow School of Art in 2008. The following year, she moved to London to study at the Royal College of Art. Her work has previously been displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Her short film, ‘Yoorop’, offered an account of Europe using footage sourced from popular Indian cinema, aiming to present an image of European-ness from an alternative cultural perspective. Established in 1984, the Turner Prize is recognised as the most high-profile award in British art, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Named after the British painter JMW Turner, the prize’s objective is to stimulate public discourse surrounding new developments in contemporary British art. Previous winners include Anish Kapoor, Steve McQueen, Gillian Wearing, Antony Gormley, Grayson Perry, Jeremy Deller, Helen Marten, and Veronica Ryan. The exhibition showcasing this year’s four shortlisted artworks is open at Tate Britain until 16 February 2025. Every two years, the prize exhibition travels to a venue outside the Tate network, aiming to broaden the British public’s access to contemporary art. The event for next year is scheduled to be held in Bradford as part of the 2025 UK City of Culture celebrations.