Tuner Prize 2025
By Stuart James Fraser, Landscape artist and Gallery North West Manager:
Cartwright Hall and Art Gallery
I must count myself as truly fortunate, because I was able, thanks to the kindness and courtesy of friends we were visiting, to attend the Turner Prize Exhibition 2025 at the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford. This prestigious event is known worldwide as one of the best-regarded prizes for the visual arts, aiming to encourage public discussion and debate around the latest developments in contemporary British art. The prize itself is awarded annually to a British artist and is named in honour of the radical painter JMW Turner, who has been a significant influence on me personally. This year is particularly special, as the UK celebrates the 250th anniversary of Turner’s birth, and Bradford, designated City of Culture 2025, is honoured to host the Turner Prize.
The shortlisted artists for this edition include Nnena Kalu, Rene Matić, Mohammed Sami, and Zadie Xa. English flags, Korean spirits, reams of VHS tape and apocalyptic war zones all feature in the work of these 4 amazing artists. The winner will be announced in Bradford on 9 December 2025.
This was not my first visit to Cartwright Hall Art Gallery; I had visited earlier in the spring to explore its permanent collections. Situated in the beautiful Lister Park, the gallery enjoys scenic views over the city. Architecturally, Cartwright Hall is a fine representation of what is known locally as the "Bradford Baroque" style, characteristic of this part of the UK. Interestingly, the building bears a strong resemblance to Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, and upon further investigation, I discovered this is no coincidence: both were designed by the same architects, Sir John W. Simpson and E.J. Milner Allen. This connection adds another layer of cultural resonance to my visits.
The purpose-built gallery is home to an impressive collection of permanent works, ranging from Old Masters to 20th-century British paintings and sculpture, making it well worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. The variety and quality of pieces on display provide a rich and rewarding experience for any art enthusiast.
Anyway, back to the Turner Prize 2025. Each of the four nominated artists was assigned a spacious exhibition room, allowing their work to be showcased fully and without distraction. As expected, the organisation and staffing were excellent, contributing to a smooth and engaging visitor experience. In any exhibition, especially one focused on contemporary art, you anticipate encountering a broad spectrum of artworks and installations that evoke a wide range of emotions—from unbridled delight to occasional disappointment. However, what you truly expect from such a prestigious award is to be intellectually stimulated and genuinely enthused by the quality and depth of the works on display.
Some of the Artists Work- Click to open in Lightshow - hover for descriptions:
Well, this year’s prize certainly met all those expectations and more. I left the exhibition with a profound sense of awe and admiration for the artists’ creativity and vision. Judging by the expressions on the faces around me and the snippets of conversations I overheard, I was far from alone in feeling this way. Did I have favourites? Yes, of course. But beyond personal preference, each of the artists, in their own distinctive way, inspired me as a fellow artist and provoked thoughtful reflection on how I might incorporate some of their innovative concepts into my own practice. This, after all, is the very essence of contemporary art: to challenge the status quo, push the envelope, and generate the big ideas that shape our cultural landscape. I believe the video below, showcasing the incredible and deeply emotional entry of Zadie Xa with her shimmering gold floor alongside her stunning paintings and sculptures, truly captures the essence of her remarkable work and says it all for me.
The Exhibition runs until 22 February 2026. Admission is free.