A Preston artist is in the running to land this year’s Turner Prize.

Lubaina Himid who works and creates at the University of Central Lancashire is the oldest person to have been nominated for the world’s most prestigious art award.

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Born in Zanzibar the 62-year-old artist moved to Preston in the 1980s.

Himid, an MBE, was shortlisted for her solo exhibitions in Oxford, which brought together a wide range of her paintings, sculptures and ceramics from the 1980s to the present day.

She was also recognised for her work in Bristol which highlighted 100 colourful figures of 17th century African slave servants brought to Europe.

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The jury praised these exhibitions for addressing pertinent questions of personal and political identity. As a key figure of the Black Arts Movement, Himid has consistently foregrounded the contribution of African diaspora to Western culture. Working across painting, installation, drawing and printmaking, and bringing both old and new work together, her work is both visually arresting and critical.

This year’s Turner Prize scrapped its band on people over 50 being eligible.

Director of Tate Britain and chairman of the jury Alex Farquharson said; “The Turner Prize has always championed emerging artists – it has never been a prize for long service but for a memorable presentation of work in that year. Now that its reputation is so firmly established, we want to acknowledge the fact that artists can experience a breakthrough in their work at any age.”

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The winner of the prize receives £25,000 and the winner is announced in December and broadcast live on the BBC.