MA Degree Show celebrates student creativity and vision
Winchester School of Art has once again been transformed into an extensive exhibition, showcasing the accomplishments and creative talents of its postgraduate student at the annual MA Degree Show.
Opening its doors to the public from Thursday 28 August until Saturday 6 September, the campus in Park Avenue features a diverse range of works from students across Fine Art, Textile Design, Fashion Design, and Communication Design. The event is a celebration of creativity and originality, proving graduating students from across the globe with the opportunity to present their projects in a dedicated environment.
Head of Department for Fashion and Textiles John Hopkins explains how the show provides a platform within a gallery setting, to demonstrate the scope of work produced by the students. He said: “it allows the students and visitors to study the collections, to see them up close, and to look at the pieces as individuals.”
Standing in front of her extravagant installation In different Spaces, made entirely from upholstery materials, Fine Art student Dawn Evans explains that her work explores “repeating patterns of order, complexity and chaos. It is really about the structures that surround us.”
Having originally applied to the school as a painter, Dawn discovered a previously unexplored passion for sculpture, and spent the year designing and building installations. Praising the course, she said: “it has charged my batteries in terms of future inspiration, and in terms of my personal confidence as an artist. It has given me other avenues to follow, that I hadn’t even considered a year ago.”
Displaying her collection GROWTH, which was inspired by an image she saw of a little girl in her mother's T-shirt, Fashion Design student Ruhan Lian describes the show as a “gift”. She said: “everyone can come in to see what we have done in the last year. It’s a gift for us all, to celebrate our hard work.”
James Branch the Pathway Leader for MA Communication Design also highlighted the importance of providing students with a space to present their work. Surrounded by the technology-inspired research projects of his students, James said that the show gives them “a dry run at communicating their intentions to an audience. It’s quite tough to communicate your ideas to a public who aren’t involved in design, and I think that is what’s really important about this show; taking on that challenge.”
Visitors to the show will be treated to an array of innovative fashion designs, visually stunning fine art, unique textile prints, and ingenious communication solutions which explore the vast potential of digital media.
The MA Degree Show runs every day until Saturday 6 September. On weekdays it is open 10am-8pm and on Saturday it is open 11am-4pm.
To see pictures and engage in the buzz from the show search #wsashows2014 on social media.
