A Warrington-born artist has won a prestigious award for his newest piece titled ‘The Great Gates of Kiev’.

Artist, Mark Houghton, from Stockton Heath created the ‘framing device’ after being inspired by one of the first paintings he ever made.

The symbolic display was awarded the JGM gallery prize in the Wells Art Contemporary competition, which received more than 3000 submissions this year.

Mark explained how the structure was designed to ‘inspire viewers to come closer and investigate the work’.

Explaining his work of art in further detail, Mark said: “The Great Gates of Kiev act as a framing device, allowing the viewer to select which aspect of the cathedral they wish to temporarily isolate and frame, using the negative space of the openings within the work.

“I began making this piece before the current war in Ukraine had erupted. Obviously, this has gained added significance since formulating my initial intention, and the structure now inadvertently emulates the remnants of burned outbuildings.”

The unique structure was presented at Wells Cathedral in Somerset during August, with plans for it to be permanently displayed at Worcester University’s ‘Art House’.

The accomplished artist graduated from Middlesex University in 1983 and often credits his ‘experimental’ approach to art due to his time at the university.

He said: “I’m endlessly fascinated with everything around me. How are things put together, what are they made of, and this provides a lot of inspiration. I am interested in finding alternative uses or interpretations for objects and materials, and don’t like to take things at face value. It comes back down to that questioning nature – what else can that something be or mean?”

The 61-year-old has achieved several accomplishments throughout his career including being featured in the book, ‘The Language of Mixed Media Sculpture’ and being elected to the Royal Society of Sculptures.

Middlesex University, previously Hornsey School of Art was renowned for its ‘experimental’ and ‘progressive’ approach to art and was notorious back in 1968 for its large-scale student protests against the art curriculum and teaching methods of Art education at the time in Britain.

Mark said: “The revolt radically changed art education and paved the way for a more open-ended model which threw emphasis on the individual student and treated them more as an artist.”

Now a teacher at Hereford College of Arts, Mark brings many of his experiences from his art education into his current teachings.