Veronica Ryan has been awarded the prestigious Turner Prize for her work that transforms materials such as fruits, seeds, and volcanic ash into enigmatic and evocative sculptures.
The 25,000-pound ($30,000) prize was presented to the Montserrat-born British artist on Wednesday evening at a ceremony in Liverpool, England. She won for work that includes public sculptures in London’s Hackney neighbourhood shaped like tropical fruits – custard apple, breadfruit, and soursop – that honour the contributions of post-World War II Caribbean immigrants to Britain.
“Better late than never,” Ryan, 66, said of becoming the prize’s oldest winner.
The Turner Prize judges praised her “personal and poetic way of extending the language of sculpture” through found and often forgotten objects and materials such as fruits, plants, seeds, and volcanic ash from her birthplace in the Caribbean.
Ryan’s and three other finalists’ work is on display until March 19 at the Tate Liverpool museum in northwest England.
The award, named after 19th-century landscape painter J.M.W. Turner, was established in 1984 and has helped launch the careers of potter Grayson Perry, sculptor Anish Kapoor, shark-pickling artist Damien Hirst, and filmmaker Steve McQueen.
However, it has been chastised for rewarding impenetrable conceptual work and frequently sparks debate about the value of modern art. After refusing to compete against one another, all four finalists were declared winners in 2019. Last year, instead of individual artists, all five finalists were collectives. Northern Ireland’s 11-member Array Collective won the 2021 competition.
