The story of us: BNU art and design graduates use summer show to tell their stories
The Art and Design summer show at Buckinghamshire New University’s (BNU) opened its doors last week, with final year students from the University’s School of Art, Design and Performance unveiling their final projects for a week-long exhibition.
The work on display, from photography to costume design and everything in between, demonstrated the talent and hard work of the graduating students, with a resounding theme throughout the exhibition: the power of self-expression through art and design.
While the students’ projects focussed on individually selected themes, a thread ran through the fabric of the show which told stories of individuality, how our experiences make us who we are, and for this group, how they have shaped them as artists.
The graduating class used their mediums to tell their own unique stories. Here are just a few:
Marli Jessop
Marli Jessop, BA (Hons) Fine Art, is both an athlete and an artist. In her work she explores the intersection of her two talents, that perhaps to the naked eye are markedly different. Marli’s portfolio, which includes a striking self-portrait as well as a series of sculptures and decorated shoe boxes, highlights the duality of the two worlds, and, in her words, “the beauty in sport”.
Marli said, “In a way that delivers dimension through a wide range of materials and ideas to tell my story, my work brings athletes to a different stadium and artists to a different show.”
Megan Davis
Megan Davis, BA (Hons) Graphic Design, used her final project to raise awareness of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), with which she recounts personal struggles. Creating a graphic and vibrant recipe book inclusive of recipes and tips for managing the condition, Megan uses her medium to create and share a solution for a problem she and many others have faced.
Grace Oluwafela Paula Smith
‘Wade in the spectrum of blue’, a project by Grace Oluwafela Paula Smith, MA Design Innovation, used therapeutic textiles to explore her own experience of neurodiversity and Nigerian culture.
Grace said, “This research is my identity, professional expertise and the rich cultural tapestry of Nigeria […] In my studies and creation, textiles are more than mere materials; they are potent symbols of resistance, resilience, decolonisation, wellbeing, reparations, collective healing and community. The economic, historical, cultural, social, scientific ad environmental facets of Adire have been examined to understand its comprehensive impact and potential. Given my unique research approach – shaped by my neurodiversity – I have engaged with these themes through unconventional means.”
Phoebe Celeste Harveson
Phoebe Celeste Harveson, also studying MA Design Innovation, created the ‘Little Me Locket’ project which focussed on concepts of the ‘inner child’ and ‘girl-hood’. Phoebe’s project branches out across fashion, costume design, technology and gaming, as well as utilising research in psychoanalysis.
Phoebe said, “[The project has been] a therapeutic tool for me to find new ways to connect with and heal my inner child.”
