A SLOVAKIAN teenager living in Chelmsford has been described as one of the "creative minds of the future" after winning an international contest with this photograph which is now appearing on billboards across the UK.
Responding to a brief which asked 14 to 19-year-olds around the world to create a piece of work that reflects who they are in the world today, Gregor Petrikovic, 18, produced this self-portrait of him lying on a supposed scrapheap.
He said: "My picture in the Arts University Bournemouth contest is about my experience of moving to the UK when I was 16.
"I was away from everything I knew and I struggled to manage by myself in a country where I didn't speak the language.
"I hardly spoke to anyone for the first three months I was here because I was too scared to approach them.
"It made me feel very down.
"Although lying on a heap of trouble and struggle, I am constantly trying to stay on its top and not to slip down. Despite the uncomfortable times when I have to find the balance between my personal life, school and career I focus on one thing, looking at the sky and seeing the positive."
The Who Are You competition is an Arts University Bournemouth project which showcases the young creative talent of today. The competition had 16 winners from all over the world whose artwork grabbed the attention of millions.
Gregor was just 16 when he left his family in Slovakia for an international scholarship to study A-levels at New Hall School in Chelmsford.
"I speak to my parents on the phone every day and my mum always cries and screams at the same time when I tell her I have won a competition," he laughed.
And on Monday he also discovered he had been selected from over 2,100 entries for a position alongside 34 other exhibitors in the Royal Academy of Arts A-level exhibition for his short film Sleep Walker.
"I never expect to win a competition so I don't tell my family when I enter one; I wait to see the outcome first," said Gregor, who only sees his family three times a year "It is a very powerful moment when we see each other after such a long time. I do miss home, but I lacked opportunities in Slovakia.
"I love how dynamic life is in England and I have been able to do so many creative projects with the support of staff at the school, especially my A-level art teacher.
"I am now looking forward to furthering my studies in filmmaking at university."
