Canada’s preeminent contemporary Art prize recognizes Williams forthe undeniable energy and relevance of the approach of her practice of contemporary beaded sculpture.
Nico Williams is the winner of the 2024 Sobey Arts Awardsthe preeminent prize in contemporary art in Canada, with a scholarship of $100,000. The announcement was made last Saturday during the online broadcast of the ceremony held at the National Gallery of Canada (NGC). The other artists on the short list – Taqralik Partridge, Judy Chartrand, Rhayne Vermette, June Clark and Mathieu Léger – will each receive $25,000.
The Sobey Arts Award recognizes Canadian visual artists at a defining moment in their careers and whose work reflects and speaks to our contemporary times on a national and global scale. Nico Williams ᐅᑌᒥᐣ (Quebec) has a multidisciplinary and often collaborative practice that centers on sculptural beadwork. He lives and works in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, Quebec, and is a member of the Aamjiwnaang (Anishinaabe) First Nation.
“On behalf of the Sobey Arts Foundation, we extend our warmest congratulations to Nico Williams, winner of the 2024 Sobey Arts Award,” said Bernard Doucet, Executive Director of the Sobey Arts Foundation (SAF). “We would also like to thank and congratulate all the artists on the short list and the long list from across the country who, for the very first year, were selected by a jury composed only of artists, in more than one international juror. With the addition of the circumpolar region as a sixth region, the Sobey Arts Award had an incredible year, reaching artists from across the country. Through this evolution of our structure, our partner, the NGC, has been able to increase representation and help more incredible Canadian artists gain national and international exposure. We thank the National Gallery of Canada team for once again providing an important platform to discover the leading voices in contemporary Canadian art. »
“The jury felt challenged by the undeniable energy and relevance of Nico Williams’ approach to contemporary beaded sculpture, which allows us to imagine new possibilities for the medium. His impeccably precise works transform everyday objects into spectacular objects and integrate personal experiences into stories that reach a wide audience. Working with and through the community, Williams challenges the persistence of colonial legacies by bringing to the surface collective memory and shared nostalgia through his artistic practice. Jonathan Shaughnessy, director of curatorial initiatives at the NGC and chair of the 2024 Sobey Art Prize jury.
“It is with immense gratitude that I receive the 2024 Sobey Award. Ten years ago, Nadia Myre, one of the most influential models, received this award. I want to convey the same message to all young people: we will get there! I am also extremely grateful to everyone who has supported my practice from the very beginning! Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today! Chi-miigwech! “, said Nico Williams.
This year, the circumpolar region was added as the sixth nomination region. The total prize money now stands at $465,000. Funded by the Sobey Arts Foundation, it is the preeminent contemporary visual arts award in the country and one of the most generous in the world.
Nico Williams has been chosen as the winner of the 2024 Sobey Art Award by an independent jury. For the very first time, the jury was made up of six Canadian artists, all former finalists or winners of the Sobey Arts Award, with representation from each region, as well as an international juror. They reviewed all the applications and established the long and short lists; as well as the winning artist based on the artists’ respective careers to date.
The 2024 Sobey Art Award jury, from west to east: Coal (Circumpolar); Jeremy Shaw (Pacific); Divya Mehra (Prairies) ; Stephanie Comilang (Ontario) ; Caroline Monnet (Québec) ; Mario Doucette (Atlantic); And Zoé Whitleydirector of the Chisenhale Gallery, United Kingdom (international).
Powerful works by the six artists on the short list are currently on display at the Museum. Organized by the National Gallery of Canada and the Sobey Arts Foundation, the 2024 Sobey Art Prize exhibition continues until April 6, 2025.
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