Aspiring artist wins coach contest
An aspiring artist's masterpiece will be etched across a 14 metre-long bus rolling across the region.
Sergej Komkov was named winner of the National Express nationwide contest after beating seven finalists to the top spot.
His work of art is set to be seen by millions as the coach boasting his design travels across the UK.
He said: “The whole process, from beginning to end, has been amazing. It is such a big and exciting platform. I would encourage any young artists looking for a break to enter next year.
"I am absolutely over the moon. To even be shortlisted amongst the other talented artists was an achievement, so I am very happy.
“My artwork combines elements of architecture with aesthetics of line, geometry and symmetry so to see that come to life on a huge coach is a dream come true."
Mr Komkov won the contest following an online public vote to get his ‘Driving Design’ installed on a coach which will transport passengers around the UK for a year.
The striking design from the Hull artist will be seen all over the country as it runs on routes taking in Birmingham, Hull, London, Scarborough, Derby, Felixstowe and Swansea.
Mr Komkov will also receive a free 12-month coach pass, £500 and a one-to-one development day with an artist, with work set to be put on display at this September's High Vis Festival in Birmingham.
Chris Hardy, managing director at National Express, said: “Congratulations to Sergej for winning our very first Driving Design competition.
"The coach looks magnificent. This is the first time we offered this kind of opportunity on such a large scale, and it really has made quite an impact.
“The coach will be covering hundreds of miles while carrying large numbers of passengers across the country on a daily basis and I cannot wait to see it on the road.”
The winning coach was revealed to 27-year-old Mr Komkov in Hull's Queen Victoria Square.
Mr Hardy added: “We are extremely pleased to be able to give young British talent, like Sergej, a huge platform to showcase their work and realise their dreams.
“This competition heavily supports our Youth Promise in many ways – the prize doesn’t end with the coach design. It actually enables us to nurture our winning artist by providing further development opportunities to them.
“We are a well-known brand with a huge reach, and we want to use this influence to help young people get a head start in life.”
