LONDON (AP) 鈥� An artist whose work exploring her Scottish Sikh identity includes a vintage Ford car draped in a crocheted doily won the U.K.鈥檚 prestigious on Tuesday.
Jasleen Kaur was awarded the 25,000-pound ($32,000) prize by actor James Norton during a ceremony at the Tate Britain gallery in London, where works by the four finalists are on display until February.
A jury led by Tate Britain director Alex Farquhar praised the way 38-year-old Kaur 鈥渨eaves together the personal, political and spiritual鈥� through 鈥渦nexpected and playful combinations of material.鈥�
Her winning exhibition mixes sculpture, print, everyday items 鈥� including family photos, a Ford Escort car and the popular Scottish soda Irn Bru -- and immersive music to reflect on her upbringing in Glasgow鈥檚 Sikh community.
Three other finalists 鈥� Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson and Delaine Le Bas 鈥� received 10,000 pounds ($12,670) each.
Named for 19th-century landscape painter J.M.W. Turner and founded in 1984 to reward young artists, the prize helped make stars of shark-pickling artist Damien Hirst, potter Grayson Perry, and .
But it has also been criticized for rewarding impenetrable conceptual work and often sparks debate about the value of modern art, with winners such as Hirst鈥檚 "Mother and Child Divided,鈥� which consists of two cows, bisected and preserved in formaldehyde, and Martin Creed鈥檚 鈥淟ights On and Off鈥� -- a room with a light blinking on and off 鈥� drawing scorn from sections of the media.
In 2019, all four finalists were declared winners after they refused to compete against one another, 鈥渢o make a collective statement in the name of commonality, multiplicity and solidarity.鈥�
In 2021, all five finalists were collectives rather than individual artists.
The award was initially open to artists under 50 but now has no upper age limit.
The Associated Press
