Sculptor, painter, and installation artist Lubaina Himid, born in erstwhile Zanzibar and based in Preston in northern England, has won the 2017 Turner Prize. She is not only the oldest artist to receive the UK’s top contemporary art prize, at 63, but also the first woman of color to win it.
“To the art and cultural historians who cared enough to write essays about my work for decades — thank you, you gave me sustenance in the wilderness years,” Himid said during her acceptance speech.
Her work examines the histories of colonialism and the slave trade, and also the way their effects continue to play out in society today.
Himid was announced the winner at a ceremony at the Ferens Art Gallery in Hull, which is currently hosting the Turner Prize exhibition. The award was presented by the British DJ Goldie. The other short-listed nominees were Rosalind Nashashibi, Hurvin Anderson, and Andrea Büttner.
The Turner Prize exhibition is on display until January 7, 2018. At Ferens Art Gallery, Tate, UK.