"Like the Back of My Hand" at Folkestone Central Station A mosaic in Folkestone incorporating bronze casts of hands of local residents has scooped one of the art world's most significant prizes. 'Like the Back of My Hand' at Folkestone Central station has just been announced as the winner of the prestigious Rouse Kent Public Art Award, which is awarded annually by Liberty Property Trust UK (formerly Rouse Kent) - developer of the Kings Hill business park and mixed use community near West Malling - in conjunction with Kent County Council and the Arts Council England, South East. Created by Brigitte Orasinski of Strange Cargo, it is a 45m blue mosaic studded with 101 bronze hands which covers the station approach wall, with a touch screen explaining the work in the station foyer. It started as a Millennium project, organised by Strange Cargo Arts Company, in which plaster casts were made from 101 people born in each year of the last century, starting with the oldest, who was born in 1900, and finishing with the first baby to be born in the Shepway district in 2000. The exhibition was created with the intention that it should have life as a public artwork beyond its initial showing and Strange Cargo worked alongside the Regeneration and Economic Development Team from Shepway District Council to install it as a permanent feature. Artworks from all over the county entered the award and the judging panel, headed by Dr Stephen Deuchar, Director of Tate Britain and including representatives from Liberty Property Trust UK; KCC; the Arts Council England, South East; Turner Contemporary; Creative Partnerships and IOTA, reviewed all the pieces before deciding on the winner, which was announced at a VIP dinner at the Kings Hill Golf Club on 11th May. Commenting on the winning work, Dr Stephen Deuchar said: "'Like the back of my hand' is a clever, inspiring work of art rooted both in Folkestone's contemporary community and in its history. It does what art in public places should surely do: it enhances its location aesthetically, it engages its viewers daily and directly, it has something to say, and it is widely enjoyed. "It's also an example of how a work of art can be an instrument of urban regeneration - in this instance something as basic as the physical improvement of a station premises. As a model of collaboration between artists and funding authorities, I hope it will provide an example and stimulus to new projects across the region" The award carries a prize of £15,000, with £10,000 for the winner, £4,000 for the runner up and £1,000 for the third place shortlisted nomination. The commissioning body s share of the prize is to be used towards commissioning further public art and the artist s share is to be used for the artists professional development. All winning participants are invited to return to the next year s award dinner to explain how the prize money was invested and how it benefited them. Shepway Council and Strange Cargo will share the £10,000 winning prize and will also receive the Rouse Chair, made by Whitstable craftsman Will Glandfield, which they will keep for a year before handing over to next year's winner. The runner up was 'Whitefriars Pavement Installation' in Canterbury, a re-creation of drawings made by archaeologists working on the site and engraved into the Yorkstone and third prize went to 'Samphire Tower', a 30ft tower on Samphire Hoe. They win £4,000 and £1,000 respectively.