A signature part of the free Nasher Prize programming, the laureate lecture provides a platform for each year’s winner to speak about his or her work – in any format – to an audience of students and the public. 2025 Nasher Prize Laureate Otobong Nkanga, weaves together powerful works that delve into the complex, often fragile relationships between humans, the land, and its resources, touching on issues of consumption, global circulation, connectivity, and care.
This event will also mark the launch of the 2025 Nasher Prize Graduate Symposium Compendium—a publication of the scholarly work presented by a selection of graduate students at an event held in February 2024.
This in-person event is FREE and open to the public.
About Otobong Nkanga
Born in 1974 in Kano, Nigeria, Otobong Nkanga lives and works in Antwerp, Belgium. She has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the Frist Art Museum, Nashville (2023); Sint-Janshospitaal, Bruges (2022); Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bregenz (2021); Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art, Turin (2021); Villa Arson, Nice (2021); Henie Onstad Kunstsenter, Sandvika (2020); Gropius Bau, Berlin (2020); Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (2020); Tate St Ives (2019); Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, Cape Town (2019); Ar/ge kunst Galleria Museo, Bolzano (2018); Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (2018); Kunsthal Aarhus (2017); Nottingham Contemporary (2016); Beirut Art Center (2016); Tate Modern, London (2015); Museum Folkwang, Essen (2015); Stedelijk Museum Schiedam (2015); Portikus, Frankfurt (2015), Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (2015); Kadist Art Foundation, Paris (2015). Her work has been prominently featured in international biennials, including the 58th Venice Biennale (2019); documenta 14 (2017); and the 13th Biennale de Lyon (2015).
Nkanga was the recipient of the inaugural Lise Wilhelmsen Art Award Programme (2019); the Special Mention Award at the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Italy (2019); the Belgium Art Prize (2017); and the Yanghyun Prize (2015). Her works are held in institutional collections including Foundation Beyeler, Basel; Museum Brugge, Bruges; Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterloo; Art Gallery of Ontario; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Tate Modern, London; Museum voor Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen; Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin; Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; Museum Arnhem; Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki; Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; Weltkulturen Museum, Frankfurt; Nevada Museum of Art, Reno; Queensland Art Gallery; Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven; Mu.ZEE Oostende; Centre National de Arts Plastiques, Paris; and Museum Folkwang, Essen.
About Nasher Prize
The Nasher Prize is awarded to an artist whose body of work has had an extraordinary impact on our understanding of sculpture. Each Nasher Prize laureate is selected by an international jury of esteemed museum directors, curators, scholars, and artists. A full season of diverse programming inspired by the laureate – discussions and lectures, family and student programs, community partnerships, and more – engage thousands of art-lovers in Dallas and far beyond, both in-person and virtually. The celebration culminates with the Nasher Prize Award Gala, held at the Nasher Sculpture Center.
Support the Nasher Prize
Proceeds from the Nasher Prize not only benefit Nasher Prize programming but also help sustain the year-round work undertaken by the Nasher Sculpture Center itself, including thought-provoking exhibitions, impactful education and community initiatives, and more.
Underwriting packages for the 2025 Nasher Prize Award Gala are now available. For more information on how to get involved, please contact the Nasher’s Development Team at 214.242.5151 or at [email protected]