LIVERPOOL.- The Walker Art Gallery has announced the names of the artists whose works will be showcased in the John Moores Painting Prize 2016 exhibition, which will be held at the Gallery from 9 July to 27 November 2016. The 54 works listed have been selected from more than 2,500 entries.

From George Orwell’s Animal Farm to a statue of an assassinated politician, the sources of inspiration behind the paintings are varied and wide-ranging. Similarly diverse are the painting materials utilised by some of this year’s artists, from Plasticine on an altered book cover to acrylic on sheets of industrial aluminium foil.

An overarching theme which is explored within a number of entries is the act of painting itself, with several works exploring the significance, challenges and value of this medium. Three of the exhibiting artists are undergoing or have recently completed the Turps Art School correspondence course, designed specifically for painters.

Sandra Penketh, Director of Art Galleries at National Museums Liverpool, said: “The 2016 list of exhibiting artists represents a diverse and exciting selection of paintings, and there is an especially vibrant use of colour in this year’s selection. We also see many artists addressing the topical issues facing our world today, touching on subjects such as migration.

“A number of the artists represented are of a non-UK origin, bringing a strong international feel to the show. Visitors to the exhibition might also recognise works by some returning artists, including ex-juror and previous prize winner Graham Crowley, and multiple Visitors’ Choice winner, Nicholas Middleton.”

The entries have been judged anonymously by an esteemed panel of jury members, who represent an international cross-section of influential voices from the art world. The jury members are the artists Gillian Carnegie, Ansel Krut, Phoebe Unwin and Ding Yi, and the author and freelance curator Rev’d Dr Richard Henry Davey.

From the selected artists, four painters will be awarded prizes of £2,500, while the overall winner will receive a prize of £25,000. The names of the five shortlisted prize winners will be announced in June 2016, with the first prize winner being revealed on 7 July 2016.

Visitors to the John Moores Painting Prize exhibition this year will be invited to vote for their favourite painting to win the popular Visitors’ Choice Award, sponsored by Rathbones. The winning artist will receive £2,016.

The John Moores Painting Prize exhibition will also showcase the five prize-winning works from the John Moores Painting Prize China 2016. Now in its fourth year, the prize aims to promote talent and bring greater global recognition to Chinese contemporary painting.

Ding Yi, juror for the John Moores Painting Prize 2016, was also a juror for the John Moores Painting Prize China in 2012. His experience of judging works for both prizes has allowed him to compare and contrast the different themes presented by artists shortlisted for each prize.

Ding Yi said: “As a judge, I can see the diversity of expressive form and language from both the UK and China competitions. They all use their own particular points of view to express the cultural proposition and social landscape, but the focus remains a bit different. British artists pay more attention to historical clues and symbolic space, and Chinese artists focus more on the present reality and individual experience.”

Established in 1957, the internationally-renowned prize, organised in partnership with the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition Trust, has championed contemporary British painting for almost 60 years; more than two decades longer than any other art prize of its scale.

Past winners of the John Moores Painting Prize include David Hockney (1967), Mary Martin (1969), Peter Doig (1993), Keith Coventry (2010) and Sarah Pickstone (2012). Sir Peter Blake, winner of the junior prize in 1961, is Patron of the prize. The winner of the prestigious first prize in 2014 was Rose Wylie with her striking work, PV Windows and Floorboards.