Nominated for her presentation as part of ‘Conversations’ at the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, and ‘Hanging Scuplture 1 to 10’ at Manifesta 15, Barcelona.

Nnena Kalu makes cocoon-like shapes out of paper and textiles, which are then bound, layered and wrapped in brightly coloured cellophane and tape to create expressive hanging sculptural installations. Her work is rooted in a process of repeated gestures, as seen in her abstract swirling drawings on paper. The jury commended her unique command of material, colour and gesture, and her highly attuned responses to architectural space.

Nominated for their solo exhibition ‘AS OPPOSED TO THE TRUTH’ at CCA Berlin.

Rene Matić captures fleeting moments of joy in daily life, and expressions of tenderness within a wider political context. Their work includes highly personal photographs of family and friends in stacked frames, paired with sound, banners and installation. The jury was struck by the artist’s ability to express concerns around belonging and identity, conveying broader experiences of a young generation and their community through an intimate and compelling body of work.

Nominated for his solo exhibition ‘After the Storm’ at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.

Mohammed Sami is best known for his large-scale paintings which explore memory and loss, layering pattern and colour to create haunting, dreamlike scenes. The jury praised the artist’s powerful representation of war and exile, exhibited against the backdrop of Blenheim Palace. He paints empty landscapes, interiors and items of furniture, devoid of people, as metaphors for absent bodies and their memories.

Nominated for her presentation ‘Moonlit Confessions Across Deep Sea Echoes: Your Ancestors Are Whales’, and ‘Earth Remembers Everything’ with Benito Mayor Vallejo at Sharjah Biennial 16.

Zadie Xa’s work interweaves painting, mural, textile and sound. She focuses on the sea as a spiritual realm to explore traditions and folklore, speaking to a multitude of cultures. Her vibrant installation blended a soundscape with ethereal paintings, bojagi patchwork and an interactive sculpture of over 650 brass wind chimes inspired by Korean shamanic ritual bells. The jury felt that this cohesive work was a sophisticated development of Xa’s reflective and enchanting practice.