A SCULPTURE which was awarded the inaugural Jerwood Sculpture Prize is due to be unveiled at Witley Court.

The bronze, created by Benedict Carpenter, is being installed today and will be revealed on Thursday.

The piece is the first winner of the £20,000 prize, that was created to encourage and reward emerging talent in outdoor sculpture.

The 2001 award was open to anyone under 35, or had graduated from art school in the previous 10 years, and was awarded to work that demonstrated originality and excellence in the field of sculpture.

The winner is titled Universal Object, and is an ambiguous form based on the famous Rorschach ink blot tests used for psychological assessments.

Benedict Carpenter was the youngest of the eight shortlisted sculptors.

He studied at Chelsea College of Art and the Royal College of Art, from where he graduated in 1999.

His work will be placed in the Jerwood Sculpture Park, which was officially opened at Witley Court, in association with English Heritage, in 2000.