An exhibition celebrating new works by the 2020 John Moores Painting Prize winner Kathryn Maple will go on display at the Walker Art Gallery in February 2023.
In Kathryn’s first major show, work will be displayed at the gallery, which has hosted the prestigious painting prize since 1957. The biennial prize celebrates and showcases the best new painting produced in Britain today.
Winning first prize in 2020 with ‘The Common’, now part of the gallery’s permanent collection, Kathryn is the second John Moores Painting Prize winner to be allowed to present work in a solo exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery.
Focussing on the extreme environmental situation the world is currently facing, Kathryn’s exhibition Under a Hot Sun is a collection of work created following the artist’s success in the painting prize.
Kathryn Maple said, “Under a Hot Sun is my first solo show, it is a huge opportunity to show my paintings at the Walker Art Gallery. The Walker has a great permanent collection, and I’m in the company of many artists who have inspired my practice.
“I draw from life as much as possible. In the studio, I reimagine and collage my drawings, assembling a new relationship with the spaces I visit. I am keen to keep the line searching and always expanding my vocabulary of mark making. This is important from the beginning to the end of a painting.
“Many of the paintings on display are inhabited by figures that synchronise with nature’s deep rhythms. I hope to provide a connection that is made through the surface of the paintings, which resonates and echoes a sense of place.”
Following success in the 2020 John Moores Painting Prize, the Walker Art Gallery purchased Kathryn’s winning painting for its permanent collection, and Kathryn received £25,000, using funds to develop her work in a larger workspace.
Kathryn said, “Since winning the prize, I have been able to rent a bigger studio and buy a bit more paint and canvas, which has allowed me to find more freedom in my work. My paintings have certainly reached a few more people, and I am excited to have the opportunity to show my recently finished paintings in one space together at The Walker Art Gallery.”
Kathryn Maple’s Under a Hot Sun opens on 13 February 2023 and runs until 30 April 2023. For more information, visit www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/kathrynmaple.
The exhibition coincides with the call for entries for the 2023 John Moores Painting Prize. Along with Kathryn Maple, previous winners include David Hockney and Rose Wylie. Artists can submit work from 13 February to 24 March 2023.
For more information on this year’s jury and how to register, visit: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/jmpp/john-moores-painting-prize.
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