A boy from Barnet has picked up the top prize at this year's Fourth Plinth Schools Awards for his depiction of the Queen driving a Tube train to celebrate 150 years of the London Underground.
Malik who is in year 5 at Childs Hill School joined other youngsters at a ceremony in City Hall.
This year's competition received a record breaking 1600 entries from children across every London borough, covering a huge variety of themes.
These included technology and architectural and cultural icons (The Shard, London Eye, the Tube).
A number of proposals reflected issues such as the environment, the economy, as well as the London 2012 Games.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'There was a fantastic response from young Londoners across the capital, bringing artistic flair as well as an inspiring awareness of London life. Congratulations to the winners and everyone who entered.'
Gregor Muir, Executive Director of the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), judged this year's competition.
The winning entries are as follows:
First Prize was awarded to Malik (Year 5) from Childs Hill School, Barnet for his proposal entitled Queen on the Tube
Second prize was awarded to Jessica (Year 8) from Latymer School, Enfield, for Wire Tree
Third prize was awarded to Lily (Year 9) from Alexander Park School, Haringey, for Our House
A Special Award was awarded to Meena, (Year 10), Kingsford Community School, Newham for English Gentleman
Hamley's provided some prizes which included Razor Scooters for the top 4 (1st, 2nd, 3rd and special awards). They also provided class prizes for several large group entries of art materials. Reeves provided a Deluxe Acrylic Wooden Box Set for the top three and also provided smaller acrylic sets for all of the borough winners
The ICA have gicen the top winner a private screening for the winner and ten friends of a film of their choice in the ICA cinema – complete with goody bags from Peyton & Byrne caterers for the event. Other prizes from the ICA include a meal for two in the ICA café plus two cinema tickets and the Phaidon Art Book for Children'. ALIX Partners very kindly provided ICA 'Punk and Chips' tote bags for all borough winners and lunch packs for all attending children (around 120).
The artworks can be seen in a City Hall exhibition alongside selected proposals from the 33 participating London boroughs until 7 June.
Gregor Muir, who judged the competition said: 'I'm thrilled to have judged this year's School Awards which has been incredibly enjoyable but difficult due to the amazing range of exciting talent and ideas. The standard this year has been exceptionally high and it's been a real challenge for us to reach a decision.'
Ekow Eshun, Chair of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group, said: 'The Fourth Plinth Schools Awards are a brilliant way to get young Londoners excited about art. What I love about the competition is the variety of ways of seeing London it throws up and that each artwork says something different about our city. We receive so many fantastic ideas from across the capital it's very difficult deciding on three winners.'
To view all proposals for this year's award please follow this link: www.london.gov.uk/fourthplinth/schoolsawards/gallery
Notes to editors
The Fourth Plinth Programme is the most thought-provoking contemporary art prize in the UK. Funded by the Mayor of London with support from Arts Council England the programme invites world class artists to make astonishing new works for the centre of the Capital City.
The programme was initiated in 1998 by the RSA with the support of the Cass Sculpture Foundation.
In 1999 responsibility for Trafalgar Square was transferred to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority. The Fourth Plinth Programme is led by the Mayor’s Culture Team, under the guidance of the Fourth Plinth Commissioning Group (FPCG). The FPCG recommends contemporary works for the Fourth Plinth.
The first commission under the FPCG was Marc Quinn's sculpture Alison Lapper Pregnant, unveiled in a public ceremony in September 2005. It was followed by Thomas Schütte’s Model for a Hotel in 2007 and by Antony Gormley’s One & Other in 2009. Yinka Shonibare MBE’s sculpture Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle remained on the plinth until the end of January 2012.
In November 2011 The Art Fund and the National Maritime Museum launched a public appeal to give the commission a permanent home at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Katharina Fritsch’s commission Hahn / Cock, will follow that by Elmgreen & Dragset and will be unveiled in 2013. Previous commissions have been Ecce Homo by Mark Wallinger (1999), Regardless of History by Bill Woodrow (2000) and Monument by Rachel Whiteread (2001). Arts Council England has been a funding partner supporting the programme since 2003.