Shoe painting wins John Moores Painting Prize Visitors' Choice award

Kiki Xuebing Wang was also awarded the inaugural Emerging Artist Prize in March

A painting of a shoe has taken a major award which was voted for by visitors to an art exhibition.

Kiki Xuebing Wang won the John Moores Painting Prize Visitors' Choice at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool with her painting of a loafer.

She said it was "amazing" to win, adding: "There are so many brilliant paintings in the exhibition, so I'm thrilled that mine caught a few eyes."

The artist received a £2,020 prize thanks to the vote.

Ms Wang was also awarded the inaugural Emerging Artist Prize in March, when Kathryn Maple's painting The Common was announced as the main John Moores Painting Prize winner.

Sandra Penketh, executive director of Art Galleries & Collections Care at National Museums Liverpool, said it was "wonderful to see that the public share the jury's appreciation" for Ms Wang's painting.

"Kiki's work invites the viewer to inspect this seemingly abstract image much more deeply," she said.

"On closer inspection, we become increasingly aware of both the texture and colours which make up such an everyday object - a shoe."

The exhibition launched online in February while the gallery was still closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A virtual tour gave viewers the opportunity to explore the approaches to paint selected for this year's show and vote for their favourite.

When the Walker Art Gallery reopened, visitors were able to see works in person and continued to vote for the painting that caught their eye.