Amber Tyldesley: In The Palm of Our Hands, acrylic and resin. Pictured above.

David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s (DSWF) Wildlife Artist of the Year competition showcases the beauty and drama of the natural world, supporting some of the finest and most exciting wildlife artists, and raising vital awareness and funds to protect endangered species.

Now in its 12th year, the internationally-renowned competition brings together talented artists and art-lovers from across the world to celebrate our planet’s diverse wildlife through exciting and dynamic wildlife art.

This year, DSWF received more than 1,300 submissions across 56 countries. After many hours of discussion and deliberation, the panel of expert judges managed to whittle the selection down to 156 stunning artworks that will be exhibited at Mall Galleries from Wednesday May 29 until Sunday June 2.

Fifty per cent of every sale will go directly to saving endangered species and fighting wildlife crime across Africa and Asia.

This year, particular talking point pieces include:

Swarm by Thomas Lynall, a huge sculpture of bees made from silver, brass, wood, glass and LED, priced at £82,000

Painted Wolves by Beverly Drury, two sculptures of painted wolves made from snare wire removed from the bush (a major killer of painted wolves). Pictured above.

Transformation and Giraffes, two incredibly vibrant oil paintings by Radka Kirby, last year’s winner. Pictured above.

Writhe, a large solid bronze sculpture of an octopus, created by Stephen Rew. Pictured above.

A Portrait of Tomorrow, a large painting of a Bengal tiger by notable painter Atsushi Harada. Pictured above.

There will also be artwork for sale by David Shepherd’s granddaughter Emily Lamb, skilled sketch artist Gary Hodges, Watercolour Challenge star Hazel Soan, graphic designers Under the Skin, watercolour artist Jos Haigh and graphic artist Louise McNaught.

This year sees the introduction of the Human Impact category, proudly sponsored by Art Discount (https://artdiscount.co.uk), which is open exclusively to artists aged 17 to 25 with the aim of engaging the next generation of conserva­tionists and wildlife artists to create dramatic and political pieces that demonstrate the consequences human activity has had on earth’s wildlife.

The winner will be announced, along with the six other category winners and overall competition winner, at the Private View on Tuesday May 28.

The artwork finalists are already on sale on the website at davidshepherd.org

This year’s competition also features an online exhibition of additional works for sale which didn’t make it into the final but which the judges believe demonstrate incredible skill and creativity.

DSWF is a wildlife conservation charity founded by renowned artist and conservationist David Shepherd 35 years ago, which works to fight international wildlife crime from grass roots to the world stage.

The Foundation funds projects across Africa and Asia, and through dedication and hard work has influenced policy, shifted attitudes and provided an unwavering voice for wildlife conservation.

To date, DSWF has invested nearly £10million in wildlife conservation projects which protect endangered species such as elephants, pangolins, tigers, chimpanzees, snow leopards, lions, painted dogs and rhinos.

• The Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibition, Wednesday May 29-Sunday June 2 (Private view, May 28), at Mall Galleries, The Mall, SW1. 10am-5pm (closes 1pm on final day). Admission free, donations welcome. 020 7930 6844, www.mallgalleries.org.uk, https://davidshepherd.org