John Moores Painting Prize China comes to Liverpool

This week LJMU played host to prize-winning works from the China residency programme of the John Moores Painting Prize.

The John Moores Painting Prize China has been running biennially since 2010, forming partnerships between Fine Arts Shanghai University and LJMU. Since the China prize’s inception, LJMU has provided a residency programme and exhibition for the five winning artists each year.

Led by Dr Hana Leaper, Liverpool School of Art and Design (LSAD), the programme provides Chinese artists an opportunity to develop and grow their practice with free studio space in the John Lennon Art and Design Building. As well as studio space, LJMU provides accommodation and support for living costs, materials, an exhibition, networking opportunities, and mentorship from LSAD staff, as well as leading cultural institutions such as National Museums Liverpool, Liverpool Biennial, Salford Arts Collections, Tate Liverpool and many more.

The residency allows the artists to explore different art practices and theoretical perspectives to inspire their own work. They also have the opportunity to exhibit their work publicly and develop their reputation within the UK art world and internationally.

This year the exhibition of work created by the 2020 and 2022 China Prize winners was curated by LSAD staff Hana Leaper, Anna Roberts, James Schofield, and Peter Appleton, and hosted at the Exhibition Research Lab based in the John Lennon Art and Design Building. The university’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Power, himself an art graduate, was delighted that LJMU sponsored the event and joined a preview of the works.

The winning works from the 2022 Prize will be on display alongside the John Moores Painting Prize 2023 UK exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery, running from 16 September to 25 February 2024.

The twinning of the China and UK prizes provides an important cultural exchange between UK and China, bridging a gap between western and non-western art. Several events will take place that give the artists from both editions the chance to engage with one another, including a networking lunch and postal art workshop at the art school.

Follow the John Moores Painting Prize China Residency on Instagram - @jmppres

John Moores Painting Prize UK

The prize is named after its founding sponsor Sir John Moores, local businessman and founder of Liverpool’s famous Littlewoods retail and football pools company. LJMU is also named after Sir John Moores.

It was first held in 1957 and is open to all artists working with paint, who are aged 18 years or over and live or are professionally based in the UK. Over six decades the John Moores Painting Prize has helped to launch and support the work of countless British artists and is acknowledged as a defining moment in the careers of many distinguished painters.

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.

Free student access to John Moores Painting Prize exhibition

All LJMU students will be able to show their student ID cards at the information desk when visiting the gallery to gain free entry to the exhibition.