Kathryn Maple to exhibit new works at Walker Art Gallery

A display of new works by 2020 John Moores Painting Prize winner Kathryn Maple will open at Walker Art Gallery on 11 February 2023, alongside the public call for entries for the 62nd edition of the prize.  

The display will feature Maple’s largest work to date and will show a combination of drawings and oil paintings that explore her ongoing themes of figures in familiar urban and rural spaces.  

Maple’s winning painting from the 2020 edition of John Moores Painting Prize, The Common, is now part of the permanent collection at Walker Art Gallery. This solo display will offer visitors the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into her work.  

Kathryn Maple said: “This will be my first ever solo display, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to show at the Walker. Winning the John Moores Painting Prize has given me the time to explore and build this selection of new works, which is comprised of a collection of drawings and oil paintings. I hope the display can provide a sense of what may be possible for any future entrants to the prize.” 

Maple’s new display coincides with the call for entries for the next edition of the John Moores Painting Prize, which will take place in 2023. The UK’s best known painting competition, the prize brings together the best of contemporary painting from across the UK to Liverpool. Prospective entrants will be able to submit their work for consideration for the prize from 13 February 2023. Works will undergo two judging stages before the final selection is made for the exhibition in September 2023. 

Sandra Penketh, Executive Director of Galleries and Collections Care at National Museums Liverpool, said: “The 2020 edition of the John Moores Painting Prize received almost 3,000 entries exploring a multitude of subjects and painted in diverse styles ranging from large scale canvases, bold in brush strokes and colour, to exquisitely detailed pieces. We look forward to receiving an equally stimulating and varied mix of paintings for the next edition.”  

“I’m thrilled that the call for entries this year takes place alongside a new display of works by 2020 winner Kathryn Maple which will undoubtedly be a wonderful source of inspiration for any potential entrant.” 

First held in 1957, the competition was named after its founding sponsor Sir John Moores. The prize is open to all artists working with paint, who are aged 18 years or over and live or are professionally based in the UK. Showcasing the very latest in painting today across the UK, the competition culminates in an exhibition held at the Walker Art Gallery every two years. Past prize-winners have included Peter Doig, Rose Wylie, David Hockney and Sir Peter Blake, who became the first patron of the John Moores Painting Prize in 2011. 

If you are interested in submitting work for the John Moores Painting Prize 2023, find out more at liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/jmpp