German abstract painter Tomma Abts has captured the Turner Prize, the controversial British art honour previously won by some of the U.K.'s most audacious contemporary artists.

Abts, who wins £25,000 ($52,280 Cdn), was nominated for her "intimate and compelling canvasses," said the organizers of the prize, which was presented by artist and singer Yoko Ono at a ceremony at London's Tate Britain gallery Monday evening. 

One of a series of paintings by German artist Tomma Abts on display at London's Tate Britain gallery.
(Alastair Grant/Associated Press)

Abts, 38, creates abstract canvases that measure precisely 48 by 38 centimetres. She has said her works symbolize nothing.

The jury praised her work for creating "a complex interplay between the painting's physical surface and the form that it describes."

The Turner Prize website says Abts's "paintings take shape through a gradual process of layering and accrual."

The artist says she uses no source material and does not think of her paintings ahead of time.

Finalists receive consolation prize

Abts beat out sculptor Rebecca Warren, video artist Phil Collins and poster artist Mark Titchner, each of whom will receive the equivalent of $10,456 Cdn.

Work by all four nominated artists have been on display at the Tate Britain since October.

The Turner Prize, first awarded in 1984, is given to a British artist under 50 "for an outstanding exhibition or other presentation of their work."

Last year's winner was Simon Starling, who dismantled a shed, made it into a boat, then turned it back into a shed again.

Controversial past

The prize was considered daring in the 1990s for celebrating outrageous artists such as Damien Hirst, who preserved dead animals in formaldehyde, and Tracey Emin for her work Unmade Bed.

Bookmakers William Hill had pegged sculptor Warren as the winner, with Abts coming in second.

Warren's pieces included sculptures of women described as having "humongous knobbly breasts and enormous bobbly buttocks" as well as a display made of pieces of debris collected off the floor of her studio.

Collins had created a working office at the gallery, which also displayed the Glasgow artist's other works, including an eight-hour video of young Palestinians disco dancing.

Titchner uses slogans from pop lyrics, political speeches and advertising in his wall paintings, digital animation and sculpture pieces. 

With files from the Associated Press.