LONDON.- Secret London, an exhibition featuring the best of the entries for The Serco Prize for Illustration, opened at London Transport Museum. This year’s theme is Secret London and there are 50 works of art on display, each showing a hidden aspect of the city.

The illustrations have been chosen from entries submitted by professionals and students for the The Serco Prize for Illustration 2012 – a competition open to leading illustrators throughout the world. This is the third year that Serco have sponsored the awards and exhibition.

Entrants were asked to create an illustration which depicted little known or unusual aspects of the Capital’s history, culture, characters and communities – past or present.

The illustrations vary in media used and the subjects and ideas they interpret. Some are place specific showing surprising and little-known aspects of the Capital including the last working Sewer Gas Lamp in Carting Lane, a Russian Orthodox Church in West London, and part of London’s forgotten riverscape. Others take a playful, humorous approach showing wildlife in the context of famous London icons – foxes commuting on the London Underground and a ‘pigeon disco’ inside Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square.

Alongside these are illustrations that capture the hustle and bustle of the Capital, juxtaposed against others depicting calm and tranquil aspects of city life– a busy, multi-layered market scene, a solitary figure ascending the steps of Piccadilly Station and narrow boats on a canal.

The winners were announced at an award ceremony on the evening of Monday 12 November and the winning entry will appear on Transport for London services as a transport poster.

First place went to Finn Clark, Finn’s illustration of Temple Bar memorial statue was chosen as the winner because it effectively answered the competition brief given to artists. It is a skillfully drawn illustration which depicts a little known aspect of the Capital's history which will inspire and intrigue the audience.

The runners up were Guy Roberts for his amusing and curious Pigeon Disco, which shows Nelson’s column in a way that has never seen before, and Christopher King for W4, which shows a charming view of a hidden gem in Gunnersbury – the Russian Orthodox Church – a hidden gem in Gunnersbury, West London.

Organised by London Transport Museum in partnership with the Association of Illustrators (AoI) and Serco, all of the illustrations are accompanied by a short text by the artists summarising the inspiration behind their creation.

The Serco Prize for Illustration continues Transport for London’s legacy of design that dates back over 100 years. The Museum’s collection of graphic art is one of the best in the world and includes over 5,000 posters and artworks by famous artists including Man Ray, Paul Nash and Edward McKnight Kauffer.