Richard Wright scoops Turner Prize

Painter Richard Wright has been named the winner of the Turner Prize 2009 at the Tate Britain gallery in London.

The artist, who crafts tailor-made artworks for each exhibition space, was awarded the accolade's GBP 25,000 prize at a ceremony yesterday (December 6th).

Collecting the award from Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, Wright said: 'Thanks very much. Just when I thought it was OK to relax, this happens.'

Roger Hiorns, Enrico David and Lucy Skaer, the other artists on the shortlist, were awarded GBP 5,000 at the ceremony.

The prize's panel said that the artist's installation for the Turner exhibition - a symmetrical abstract design in gold leaf on the Tate's wall - is his 'most complex and ambitious composition to date'.

Having taken around three weeks to install, the piece will be destroyed when the exhibition closes on January 3rd.

Guardian art critic Adrian Searle said that Wright's 'joyous and tantalising' installation was the strongest work at this year's exhibition, but said it is too long since a female artist has won the award.