Two of the four artists shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2024 are graduates of The Glasgow School of Art. This year’s nominees are Pio Abad, Claudette Johnson, Jasleen Kaur and Delaine Le Bas. 

Manilla-born artist Pio Abad graduated from Painting and Printmaking at the GSA in 2007 and Jasleen Kaur graduated from Silversmithing and Jewellery the following year. Both artists join a long list of previous nominees from The Glasgow School of Art, and six previous winners of the award: Douglas Gordon (1996), Simon Starling (2005), Richard Wright (2009) Martin Boyce (2011), Duncan Campbell (2014) and Charlotte Prodger (2018). Two further graduates Thomas Wells and Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell were members of the Array Collective (2021).  Although no Turner Prize was made in 2020, bursaries were awarded to 10 artists “for their significant contributions to new developments in British contemporary art.” GSA graduates Jamie Crewe and Alberta Whittle among the recipients.

Pio Abad is nominated for his solo exhibition To Those Sitting in Darkness at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Abad’s work considers cultural loss and colonial histories, often reflecting on his upbringing in the Philippines. His exhibition includes drawing, etchings and sculptures which depict, juxtapose and transform artefacts from Oxford museums, highlighting their overlooked histories and drawing parallels with familiar household items. The jury commended the precision and elegance with which Abad combines research with new artistic work to ask questions of museums. They also remarked on both the sensitivity and clarity with which he brings history into the present. 

Glasgow born Jasleen Kaur is nominated for her solo exhibition Alter Altar at Glasgow’s Tramway  gallery.  Exploring cultural inheritance, solidarity and autobiography, Kaur created sculptures from everyday objects, each animated through an immersive sound composition, giving them an uncanny illusion of life. Objects including family photos, an Axminster carpet, a vintage Ford Escort covered in a giant doily, Irn-Bru and kinetic hand bells were orchestrated to convey the artist’s upbringing in Glasgow’s Sikh community. The jury praised the artist’s evocative combination of sound and sculpture to address specifics of family memory and community struggle. 

“We are delighted that Pio and Jasleen are the latest GSA graduates to be shortlist for Turner Prize and look forward to seeing their work, which addresses key issues of cultural inheritance, colonial history and community struggles in the Turner Prize exhibition at Tate Britain later this year” said Professor Penny Macbeth, Director of The Glasgow School of Art.   

“It is an honour to announce such a fantastic shortlist of artists and I cannot wait to see their exhibition at Tate Britain this autumn. All four of them make work that is full of life.” said Alex Farquharson, Director of Tate Britain and chair of the Turner Prize jury.

“They show how contemporary art can fascinate, surprise and move us, and how it can speak powerfully of complex identities and memories, often through the subtlest of details. In the Turner Prize’s 40th year, this shortlist proves that British artistic talent is as rich and vibrant as ever.”

An exhibition of the nominees’ work will be held at Tate Britain from 25 September 2024 to 16 February 2025.  The winner will be announced at an award ceremony at Tate Britain on 3 December 2024.

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Notes for Editors

Full list of GSA Turner Prize nominees and winners:

1985 – nominee: Ian Hamilton Finlay

1996 – Winner: Douglas Gordon

1997 – Nominee: Christine Borland

2005 – Winner: Simon Starling. Nominee: Jim Lambie

2007 – Nominee: Nathan Coley

2008 – Nominee: Cathy Wilkes

2009 – Winner: Richard Wright. Nominee: Lucy Skaer

2011 – Winner: Martin Boyce. Nominee: Karla Black

2013 – Nominee: David Shrigley

2014 – Winner: Duncan Campbell. Nominees: Tris Vonna-Michell, Ciara Phillips

2017 – Nominees: Rosalind Nashashibi

2018 – Winner : Charlotte Prodger

2020 – Recipients of the Turner Prize Bursary : Jamie Crewe, Alberta Whittle

2021 – Winner: Array Collective – 2 GSA graduate members – Thomas Wells & Sighle Bhreathnach-Cashell

2024 – Nominees: Pio Abad & Jasleen Kaur

About The Glasgow School of Art (GSA):

The Glasgow School of Art (GSA) is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading independent university-level institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines. Our studio-based, specialist, practice-led teaching, learning and research draw talented individuals with a shared passion for visual culture and creative production from all over the world.

Originally founded in 1845 as one of the first Government Schools of Design, the School’s history can be traced back to 1753 and the establishment of the Foulis Academy delivering a European-style art education. Today, the GSA is an international community of over 3500 students and staff and 22,000 alumni across architecture, design, fine art and innovation and technology in our campuses in Glasgow and Altyre (in the Scottish Highlands).

About The Turner Prize

One of the world’s best-known prizes for the visual arts, the Turner Prize aims to promote public debate around new developments in contemporary British art. Established in 1984, the prize is named after the radical painter JMW Turner (1775-1851) and is awarded each year to a British artist for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work. The Turner Prize winner will be awarded £25,000 with £10,000 awarded to the other shortlisted artists.