Edgar Calel wins 2026 Sam Gilliam Award
The Sam Gilliam Award for 2026 has been awarded to Edgar Calel, who will receive a $75,000 prize from the Dia Art Foundation and the Sam Gilliam Foundation. This autumn, a public program featuring Calel's work will take place at a Dia venue. Hailing from Chi Xot, Guatemala, Calel is part of a lineage of Maya Kaqchikel artists and artisans. His diverse artistic approach includes drawing, sculpture, installation, and performance, focusing on ancestral wisdom, Indigenous narratives, and critiques of colonialism. The selection committee featured Jordan Carter and Matilde Guidelli-Guidi (Dia Art Foundation), Elvira Dyangani Ose (Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial), Annie Galwak (Sam Gilliam Foundation), Shanay Jhaveri (Barbican), and Clara Kim (Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles). Dia Director Jessica Morgan commended Calel for his unique integration of material, ritual, and community. He follows Ibrahim Mahama (2024) and Sheela Gowda (2025) as the third honoree.
Key facts
- Edgar Calel wins 2026 Sam Gilliam Award
- Prize is $75,000
- Award includes a public programme at a Dia Art Foundation location this autumn
- Calel is from Chi Xot, Guatemala, of Maya Kaqchikel heritage
- His work spans drawing, sculpture, installation, and performance
- Jury included Jordan Carter, Matilde Guidelli-Guidi, Elvira Dyangani Ose, Annie Galwak, Shanay Jhaveri, Clara Kim
- Jessica Morgan is Director of Dia Art Foundation
- Previous winners: Ibrahim Mahama (2024), Sheela Gowda (2025)
Entities
Artists
- Edgar Calel
- Ibrahim Mahama
- Sheela Gowda
Institutions
- Dia Art Foundation
- Sam Gilliam Foundation
- Barbican
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
- Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial
Locations
- Chi Xot
- Guatemala
- New York
- Washington DC
- London
- Los Angeles
- Abu Dhabi