Kunsthall Stavanger is proud to present Creations of Care, the first solo exhibition of British artist Nnena Kalu outside the UK.

Kalu’s work takes the form of large-scale sculptures and series of drawings. At Kunsthall Stavanger, Kalu takes over all galleries in her largest exhibition to date. Here, she presents a new series of sculptures created specifically for the space and finished on-site. Her practice is a dynamic interplay of expressive gestures, explosive energy, and meticulous care. Through their immediacy and approachability these works invite audiences to engage, encouraging personal interpretations and introspection. As viewers, we are generously offered a window to contemplate the world through her unique perspective.

In the Kunsthall’s main gallery, a striking series of sculptures fills the space. These large-scale installations resemble enormous, pregnant cocoons, brimming with colour and enveloping forms—hallmarks of Kalu’s practice. Upon closer examination, layers of textiles reveal themselves, some

Kunsthall Stavanger is proud to present Creations of Care, the first solo exhibition of British artist Nnena Kalu outside the UK.

Kalu’s work takes the form of large-scale sculptures and series of drawings. At Kunsthall Stavanger, Kalu takes over all galleries in her largest exhibition to date. Here, she presents a new series of sculptures created specifically for the space and finished on-site. Her practice is a dynamic interplay of expressive gestures, explosive energy, and meticulous care. Through their immediacy and approachability these works invite audiences to engage, encouraging personal interpretations and introspection. As viewers, we are generously offered a window to contemplate the world through her unique perspective.

In the Kunsthall’s main gallery, a striking series of sculptures fills the space. These large-scale installations resemble enormous, pregnant cocoons, brimming with colour and enveloping forms—hallmarks of Kalu’s practice. Upon closer examination, layers of textiles reveal themselves, some tightly wrapped, others pleated together with precision. Her signature neon pinks and yellows dominate the sculptures, interspersed with a vibrant mix of other colours.

Kalu’s sculpting process begins with urgent, frenzied wrapping: fast, intense, instinctive—before transitioning into a more deliberate, measured approach. In the early stages, artist and material seem to merge as she rapidly builds, models, and makes intuitive decisions on form and colour. As the initial burst of energy subsides, she shifts to careful consideration of how the materials work together. Her sculptures incorporate everyday, often discarded materials such as Blockbuster videotapes, textiles, fabrics, tape, and drainage pipes. While their affordability plays a role in their selection, every material is deliberately chosen and their abundance aligns with Kalu’s energetic and prolific process.

The act of binding, pleating, and layering speaks to Kalu’s process of creation: a balance of urgency and care, of instinct and intention. Her sculptures appear to nestle, nurture and protect. Kalu’s creations are a loving manipulation of materials, through the binding and pleating of fibers she brings and holds them together. The concept of care sits at the heart of her practice, seen in the careful cultivation of something until it is ready to enter the world. This notion may resonate with the experience of motherhood—the devotion poured into nurturing an idea, a concept, or a life.

Kalu’s works are visually distinct, yet they are not created in order to achieve a specific aesthetic. Rather, they are physical responses—intuitive, immediate, deeply personal. Each work captures a moment, a state of being, an imprint of time in the artist’s studio. The momentary nature of her work is particularly evident in her drawings, displayed in the smaller galleries.

The sophistication in her drawings are defined by expressive, rhythmic lines. Kalu often draws with her eyes closed, responding mainly to the sound of the pen, pencil, graphite, oil pastel meeting the paper. Here, an almost internal rhythm drives her. These works speak to presence, each mark existing as a record of the moment it was created.

Her drawings, often created in sequences of two, three, or more panels, may appear identical at first glance, but each contains subtle differences. Kalu exhausts a form through repetition, then moves on, rarely returning to a previous motif. Repetitive motion, often associated with autism, is a defining element of her sculptures and drawings. For viewers, this repetition can be meditative, inducing a sense of calm and focus. Some works evoke the warmth and security of the womb, while others explode outward, reaching beyond their confines. The layering of colours and forms invites us to experience the work through sensation rather than analysis.

Kalu’s practice is inextricably linked to her unique perspective and experience. As a Black woman with limited verbal abilities and a learning disability, her work offers visitors an opportunity to see the world through a different lens. For 25 years, she has been supported by ActionSpace, a UK-based organisation that provides learning disabled artists the resources, opportunities and studio assistance to develop their work. However, Kalu’s works do more than offer a window into her world—they challenge us to reconsider how we navigate our own. They pose questions about perception, movement, and act as an invitation to reflect on how we move through life, how we care for ourselves and others. The beauty of these works lie in their generosity, the offering of participation they extend to us.

When encountering Kalu’s work, viewers are often met with a feeling of joy. Her sculptures exude freedom of movement and an electric interplay of colour. They are inherently related to her body, shaped by the reach of her arms and her movement around them. At Kunsthall Stavanger, Kalu’s sculptures are suspended from the ceiling, mirroring the way she constructs them in her studio. This setup allows her to work from all angles—inside and out, her arms continuously enveloping the form. As viewers, we too are invited to move around and within the sculptures, to experience the embrace and care infused into them.

Kalu’s works offer a rare generosity: A space for participation, interpretation, and immersion. In experiencing Kalu’s art, we do not just witness a moment of creation; we step into it, bringing our own presence, our own moment, into conversation with hers.

Curated by Kristina Ketola Bore.

The exhibition is generously supported by Arts and Culture Norway, Bergesenstiftelsen and The Norwegian Association of Art Societies.

Kunsthall Stavanger would like to thank ActionSpace.

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4 Nnena Kalu Installation view 2024 Photo courtesy of Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana Photo credit Ivan Erofeev
AM NK Nnena Kalu Installation view 12
AM NK Nnena Kalu Installation view 10
AM NK Tube Sculpture 3 2023 Detail 03
AM NK Tube Sculpture 17 2024 Detail 01
6 Nnena Kalu To All The Kings Who Have No Crowns 2022 Courtesy of Jennifer Lauren Gallery and Carl Freedman Gallery
MK Gallery Trickster Figures Selection Low Res 30
IMG 4459
8 Nnena Kalu Studio Voltaire elsewhere 2020 Commissioned by Studio Voltaire in partnership with Action Space courtesy of the artist and Studio Voltaire Photo credit Francis Ware
7 Nnena Kalu Studio Voltaire elsewhere 2020 Commissioned by Studio Voltaire in partnership with Action Space courtesy of the artist and Studio Voltaire Photo credit Francis Ware
7 Nnena Kalu Studio Voltaire elsewhere 2020 Commissioned by Studio Voltaire in partnership with Action Space courtesy of the artist and Studio Voltaire Photo credit Francis Ware

Nnena Kalu, Studio Voltaire elsewhere (2020). Commissioned by Studio Voltaire in partnership with Action Space. Courtesy: The artist and Studio Voltaire. Photo: Francis Ware.

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4 Nnena Kalu Installation view 2024 Photo courtesy of Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana Photo credit Ivan Erofeev

Nnena Kalu, Manifesta 15, installation view (2024). Photo courtesy: Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana. Photo: Ivan Erofeev.

AM NK Nnena Kalu Installation view 12

Installation view of Nnena Kalu, Nnena Kalu at Arcadia Missa, London. Photo courtesy: The Artist and Arcadia Missa, London. Photo: Tom Carter.

AM NK Nnena Kalu Installation view 10

Installation view of Nnena Kalu, Nnena Kalu at Arcadia Missa, London. Photo courtesy: The Artist and Arcadia Missa, London. Photo: Tom Carter.

AM NK Tube Sculpture 3 2023 Detail 03

Detail Tube Sculpture 3 (2023). Nnena Kalu at Arcadia Missa, London. Photo courtesy: The Artist and Arcadia Missa, London. Photo: Tom Carter.

AM NK Tube Sculpture 17 2024 Detail 01

Detail Tube Sculpture 17 (2024). Nnena Kalu at Arcadia Missa, London. Photo courtesy: The Artist and Arcadia Missa, London. Photo: Tom Carter.

6 Nnena Kalu To All The Kings Who Have No Crowns 2022 Courtesy of Jennifer Lauren Gallery and Carl Freedman Gallery

Nnena Kalu, To All The Kings Who Have No Crowns, (2022). Photo courtesy: Jennifer Lauren Gallery and Carl Freedman Gallery.

MK Gallery Trickster Figures Selection Low Res 30

Nnena Kalu, Trickster Figures: Sculpture and the Body, MK Gallery (2023). Photo courtesy: The artist, ActionSpace and MK Gallery. Photo: Rob Harris.

IMG 4459

Nnena Kalu, Infinite Drawing, Deptford X (2022). Photo courtesy: The artist, ActionSpace and Deptford X. Photo: Corey Bartle-Sanderson.

8 Nnena Kalu Studio Voltaire elsewhere 2020 Commissioned by Studio Voltaire in partnership with Action Space courtesy of the artist and Studio Voltaire Photo credit Francis Ware

Nnena Kalu, Studio Voltaire elsewhere (2020). Commissioned by Studio Voltaire in partnership with Action Space. Photo courtesy: The artist and Studio Voltaire. Photo: Francis Ware.

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Context

In the exhibition Creations of Care, the British artist Nnena Kalu works with sculpture and drawing. In focus are questions concerning care and how we see the world.

The main themes in Nnena’s exhibition includes:

Care
The experience of the world around us
Imprints of time

This is a brief introduction to the exhibition. If you want to read more, feel free to pick up the exhibition document at the reception desk.


Nnena’s works are dynamic, characterised by expressive movements, explosive energy, and profound care. In this exhibition, we can experience large-scale sculptures, as well as a series of drawings.

In our main gallery, Nnena presents impressive sculptures that resemble enormous, pregnant cocoons. As you approach, you can see layers of textiles and plastic, either tightly wrapped or precisely woven.

Care is a central theme in Nnena’s work. Through actions such as binding, weaving, and layering, she creates a metaphor for the loving and meticulous process behind each artwork. In her sculptures, she often uses everyday materials like Blockbuster video tapes, textiles, tape, and drainage pipes. The affordability and accessibility of these materials are part of the reason they are used, but each material is also carefully chosen by Nnena.

Nnena’s works are physical responses; they are intuitive, immediate, and deeply personal. She often draws with her eyes closed, responding to the sound of the pen, pencil, graphite, or oil pastel on paper. She is driven by an almost internal rhythm. The works are created from an intense presence, where each mark and impression exists as proof of the moment it was made.

Nnena’s drawings are often created in sequences of two, three, or more panels. At first glance, they may seem identical, but each panel contains subtle differences. For us as viewers, they become an invitation to imagine Nnena in the studio, to picture how the work is built up, and to see how pen, pastel, paint, and graphite almost become sculptural materials in Nnena’s hands.

In her drawings, Nnena periodically works with a specific form that she repeats until she has exhausted it. After that, she rarely returns to a previous motif. Repetitive movement, often associated with autism, is a defining element in her sculptures and drawings.

Nnena’s work cannot be separated from her unique perspective and experience. As a Black woman with limited verbal abilities and a learning disability, her work offers visitors the opportunity to see the world through a different lens. Part of the appeal of these works lies in their generosity and the invitation to participate they extend to us.

Nnena Kalu (b. 1966, Glasgow) lives and works in London, UK. Her practice is rooted in two-dimensional works, sculptures and installations. For 25 years, she has been supported by ActionSpace, a UK-based organisation that provides learning disabled artists the resources, opportunities and studio assistance to develop their work. Kalu has grown her practice at ActionSpace’s studio at Studio Voltaire and is an important member of both Studio Voltaire and ActionSpace’s artistic communities.

Kalu’s work was included in the 2024 edition of Manifesta 15. Other recent exhibitions include Conversations, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, UK (2024); Arcadia Missa, London (2024); Infinite Drawing, Deptford X, London, UK (2022); Studio Voltaire Elsewhere, London, UK (2020); Wrapping, Humber Street Gallery, East Yorkshire, UK (2019); Allied Editions, House of Voltaire, Frieze, London, UK (2022); To all the Kings who have no Crowns, Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate, UK (2022).

Kalu’s work is included in the collections of Tate (UK) and the Arts Council (UK). Kalu is the winner of the Mosaic Art Award 2025.