TWO artists from the North-East have been selected to have their work displayed in a major exhibition.

Alan Payler and Phillip Knights, both from Darlington, have had their pieces chosen for the gallery, which will showcase over 80 works by 80 artists from across the UK, exploring the theme of ‘Environments’.

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The gallery is now open in central London and features work by artists who face barriers to the art world.

A judging panel of internationally renowned artists - including Grayson Perry - chose three winning pieces among those being displayed.

The winning work was Mr Payler’s piece, The Garden, which explores colour through felt tip pen.

Mr Payler said his work results from a gentle, delicate way of working where even large areas of colour are undertaken in small, careful steps.

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His pictures often combine small areas of detail with large areas of space and colour.

Mr Payler attends the Community Art Project in Darlington - a project for adults with learning disabilities - and his work has been included in numerous CAP exhibitions.

As the winning artist, Mr Payler will have his own exhibition in a Brighton gallery in 2021.

Second place was Mr Knights with his piece, titled The Conversation.

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Mr Knights said he likes to create scenes populated with figures, machines and objects - sometimes invented through his own imagination but also inspired by images from everyday source material around him.

Also attending the Community Art Project, Mr Knights has had his work exhibited and sold widely.

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Grayson Perry said: “Art is a purely subjective thing. The winning work was the work of art that most closely aligned with something I would be happy to make myself and gave me joy.

“Although it is often spontaneous it has habits that come up again and again and with the winning one it was like something I had never seen before.

“I would very much like to come and see Alan’s solo show in Brighton.”

The exhibition, run by Outside In, a national charity which provides a platform for artists facing barriers to the art world, takes place at Piano Nobile Gallery, London’s Kings Place, until January 1 2020.