A CARLISLE man has won an international art award with a difference for his work entitled 'Party Gate'.

The artist, known as Mr Keep Calm, has won the ‘anti’ prestigious Turnip Prize in a ceremony held at The New Inn, Wedmore, Somerset.

The Turnip Prize - a kind of anti-Turner Prize - was created in response to Tracey Emin's 'My Bed' in 1999 and is award to the work of art which 'required the least amount of effort'.

Works that required too much time to create are disqualified.

Mr Keep Calm created his work entitled 'Party Gate' by simply attaching a party hat onto a garden gate.

News and Star: 'Party Gate''Party Gate' (Image: The Turnip Prize)The award was made in front of a packed ‘art-loving’ audience who cheered when the 48-year-old winner accepted the prize: a turnip mounted on a six-inch nail.

Organiser Trevor Prideaux said: “I am delighted with the lack of effort taken to create this work.”

Mr Keep Calm, a government employee who now lives in Chilton Polden, Somerset, said: “I was too lazy to take the gate to the recycling tip and decided to enter it into the Turnip Prize.

“I'm not an artist by any stretch of the imagination and there's literally no effort going into it at all.

“I just lifted the gate off its hinges put a hat on it, took it to the pub and that was it. Minimal effort, you see, that's why I won."

Mr Keep Calm, who, alongside his trophy of a turnip on a nail, has won a blue plaque for his house, hasn’t ruled out further attempts at art, saying he would ‘see what I can get away with.’

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Turnip Prize organiser Trevor Prideaux said: “This year’s event attracted 193 entries. It’s fantastic that Mr Keep Calm has won, he clearly has what it takes to be recognised in modern art circles and will be remembered in art history for no time at all.

“I believe that over the last twenty-five years the artists entering ‘The Turnip Prize’ have created by far better works than Alex Farquharson and The Tate Britain Gallery could ever wish to exhibit."

Mr Keep Calm will return to present the winner of the 2024 Turnip Prize with a turnip of his choosing.