SYDNEY.-The $2000 first prize for the City of Sydney's 2008 Multicultural Art Competition has been awarded to Carl Milton for his work, Sydney.

The Waterloo resident describes his work as "a meditation on the celebration of Sydney's diversity".

Carl said "I support and embrace multiculturalism as I am a product of it. I have a mixed heritage and my father's journey in Australia began at Bonegilla Migrant Hostel."

Carl's artwork used simplistic representations of various souls engaged in a spirit of celebration and unity. It acknowledges the original inhabitants in interpreting the cityscapes of Sydney as being symbolic of the Sea of Hands Reconciliation Movement.

The Multicultural Art Competition is part of the City's Living in Harmony program which runs to the end of the month and promotes cultural diversity and understanding.

Councillor John McInerney awarded Mr Milton with his prize of $2000 at an event at Customs House today.

"The remarkable diversity within City of Sydney makes this competition, along with the Living in Harmony program, very important," said Councillor McInerney.

"We have over 200 nationalities within the City of Sydney forming an important part of our community."

Second prize of $1000 was awarded to Alexander Stepanov, for his work Bondi Reefs and Natasha Borisnova won third prize of $500 for her work Tales from a Suitcase. Both artists said their own culturally diverse backgrounds were a big influence on their work.

One of the competition's judges, Sylvia Ross, Head of the School of Art, College of Fine Arts, UNSW, described the finalists as "animated, energetic and graphically exciting".

The ten finalists, drawn from 115 entries, will go on exhibition at Customs House until May 15. The exhibition will then move to Town Hall House until June 11, then to Pine St Creative Center until July 5.