- Artists include Locky Morris, Jennifer Trouton and Magda Stawarska
- Acquisitions are part of the Art X-UK project that collects works by exciting UK artists for display in more than 125 countries
Works of art by contemporary artists from Northern Ireland and across the North West of England are to be displayed in embassies and government buildings worldwide as part of the Art X-UK project.
Nine new pieces have been acquired by the Government Art Collection (GAC) this year as the third instalment of a five-year drive to ensure the Collection reflects creative talent from across the entirety of the UK.
This includes the work of Jennifer Trouton, who is based in Belfast and creates contemporary coded dramas that subtly express ideas around gender, class and identity within Irish history. Trouton’s practice incorporates paint, embroidery, wallpaper, textiles and artefact. While her work is rooted in Ireland, there is a thematic universality to the subjects that intersects with women’s histories globally.
The GAC has also acquired works from Magda Stawarska, a Preston-based artist whose multi-disciplinary practice combines moving image, sound, silkscreen prints and painting. For nearly two decades, she has explored the threshold of memory, the sanctioned shape of history, and the active experience of listening.
Arts Minister Ian Murray said
The UK is full of artistic talent and I am thrilled that new artworks from Northern Ireland and the North West are being represented in the Government Art Collection so we can showcase our remarkable artists on the world stage.
The Art X-UK project gives recognition to our artistic talent throughout the nation and is supporting our creative industries to flourish around the world.
In 2022, the GAC, which is part of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), launched a five-year acquisitions programme to collect works from exciting talent and showcase the best of UK creativity – promoting further interest in the country’s globally renowned creative sector.
The Art X-UK project initially ran as a successful pilot scheme in 2020–21. Since then, more than 160 pieces by 72 contemporary visual artists have been acquired for the collection.
As part of the first year of this project, the GAC acquired 40 new pieces of artwork from Wales and the Midlands. Last year, the GAC acquired more than 20 new artworks from Scotland and the North East.
These works are now on display in government buildings around the country and internationally in British embassies and Ambassadors’ residences, including Washington DC, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and Paris.
Northern Ireland Artist, Jennifer Trouton said
I am thrilled that the Government Art Collection has chosen to recognise my practice and specifically work that speaks to the lived experiences of Irish women, North and South.
Northern Ireland Artist, Locky Morris said
I am looking forward to seeing my photographs enter this wide-ranging and fascinating collection. I find the thought of having these works, borne out of a working life lived very close to home, displayed in new and unforeseen public spaces and contexts around the world really exciting.
Northern Ireland Artist, Louise Wallace said
Being included in this prestigious collection is an honour. ‘Midnight Feast’ is a painting about female agency, appetite and desire. I believe I am painting for all the subversive, overlooked Belfast women I knew as a child, and I am very grateful to the GAC for recognising their importance.
North West Artist Magda Stawarska said
I am very pleased that through the acquisition by GAC this work has the potential to be seen across the globe. I look forward to the interactions it could achieve. The recognition that being part of this prestigious and dynamic collection brings means a great deal to me.
North West Artist John Lyons said
It is an honour for my work to have been chosen for the Government Art Collection. It is also a pleasure to be given the opportunity, through the GAC, to share aspects of my Caribbean culture with the rich and varied world of the visual arts; and hopefully, as an inspiration to aspiring younger artists.
North West Artist Rebecca Chesney said
Finding out that my work has been selected for the Government Art collection and the recognition this brings to my practice was an honour. It’s very exciting to have my work represented in a national collection for the first time.
Director and co-Chair of Contemporary Visual Arts Network North West Sam Lackey said
It has been a privilege to support the Government Art Collection in selecting artists for this year’s acquisitions. The process, which draws from the expertise and insights of curators across the North West, highlights the incredible diversity of artists across our region. Art X-UK is not just about expanding the collection – it’s about ensuring that the Government Art Collection remains a true reflection of the wealth of talent found in our region. This collaboration is a testament to the power of our partnerships across Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside and CVAN NW’s collective commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive visual arts community.
Director of the Centre for Contemporary Art Derry-Londonderry (CCA) Catherine Hemelryk, said
It is fantastic to see works selected to join the Government Art Collection from Northern Ireland. It has been great to join colleagues to discuss and recommend artists, particularly from a part of the world that can often be overlooked, despite the incredible talent here. I have been particularly heartened by the ambitions of the Government Art Collection to truly consider the complexities of these islands and to select challenging and brilliant work that reflects a variety of attitudes and lived experiences. Art tells our stories there is no singular, neat history, but a multitude of experiences. I am glad to see the collection expand to include many of these.
ENDS
Notes to editors
In 2024–25, GAC worked in partnership with arts networks in Northern Ireland and the Contemporary Visual Arts Network (CVAN) in the North West of England. Each network convened a panel of artists and curators who proposed a shortlist of artists from the region for the GAC team to research. Artists whose work was acquired are
Northern Ireland
- Locky Morris
- Louise Wallace
- Jennifer Trouton
North West
- Rebecca Chesney
- Magda Stawarska
- John Lyons
ART X-UK acquisitions programme 2022–27
- 2022/23 – Wales, East Midlands and West Midlands
- 2023/24 – Scotland, North East
- 2024/25 – Northern Ireland, North West
- 2025/26 – Yorkshire and the Humber and the East of England
- 2026/27 – South East, South West
