Students celebrate Gray's School of Art's Four Pillar Awards
Gray鈥檚 Degree Show '23 'Neon Futures' celebrates the bright futures ahead for students across the art school including the winners of Gray's School of Art's Four Pillar Awards, which guide the school's practice and curriculum, and the Daniel John Steven Bequest Award for Excellence in Painting.
The awards were presented at a special networking event for the creative sector, held on the opening night of Gray's Degree Show, and recognise graduates who are socially engaged creatives, collaborative creatives, critically creative and enterprising creatives.
Painting graduate, Kirsty Bell from Greenlaw in the Scottish Borders, won the Critically Creative Award. Within her work, Kirsty explores the authenticity, fabrication and trick of painting. She considers the attachment and relationships society has to the manufactured and the counterfeit, and examines the boundaries between 'real' and 'fake'.
She uses a familial cast of characters of models, figurines and similar object precious or not, in conjunction with digital tools and AI aspects, to simulate and parrot real life. She draws on her ability to interweave and construct emulated and physical realities, portraying something that is nearly there or nearly something else.
Upon winning the award, Kirsty said: "I'm a bit overwhelmed, but I'm very grateful to have won the Four Pillar's Award. I'm a little bit shocked as well, but I'm feeling good. I enjoyed my time at Gray's so much. I'm so sad to be leaving as well. I don't know, it feels very special, this school, it's very warm. I think I'll really miss it.
"I'm now off to Florence on the John Kinross Scholarship and then I've got a show in London in October. So I've got lots of things coming up."
Jessica Reid from Irvine in North Ayrshire won the Collaborative Creative Award for her projects which include a Virtual Reality Experience for 鈥楾he Community of Arran Seabed Trust鈥� and a picture book called 鈥楩red Loves Socks' about a washing machine that eats socks!
For her Virtual Reality Experience, Jessica worked with the , 鈥楥OAST鈥�, to create an engaging and educational experience that tells the story of the amazing marine life in Arran which will also be on show at the COAST discovery Centre in Lamlash in July! Jessica says she owes a huge thank you to the (TACT Digital), who let her use their virtual reality software to create her project.
Jessica said: "I just really can't believe it. I'm buzzing, to be honest. I really do feel that I've worked really hard this year. I definitely want to say thank you to COAST and the Ayrshire Community Trust who I collaborated with for my major project for the virtual reality experience to conserve the wildlife there.
"I'm just over the moon. I'm not really sure what's next, to be honest. I've got a place to do my PGCE at the Highland and Islands University for teaching."
Weronika Turowska, from Poland won the the Socially and Environmentally Engaged Creative Award. Weronika draws on her interest in product design and biomaterials to create and innovative project centred around material experimentation and sustainability. She grows bacterial cellulose 'leather' and foam from aquafaba or waste water found in beans. She hopes to encourage people to become more sustainable and to consider a dystopian future, where out of necessity, people would grow materials and be more in tune with nature.
"I'm excited! I鈥檓 shocked and just extremely grateful. Four years passed so quickly, but I really enjoyed it at Gray's. If I could, I would do it again! I'm taking my Master's in Biodesign at Central Saint Martins from September."
In Contemporary Art Practice, a student under the alias 'NWL Ltd. Chief Value Officer, Scotland Office', won the Enterprising Creative Award.
She said: "I鈥檓 super gobsmacked and totally chuffed. It's really amazing. Obviously, I've worked so hard, so it's just so amazing to have the work recognised.
"I feel like I've made work that's not the most easily digestible, so the fact that people have come and obviously absorbed it, understood it, connected with it and then said 鈥榶eah, we're giving you this鈥� - I鈥檓 just really chuffed. It's been a journey."
Niamh Hughes from Stonehaven, won the Daniel John Steven Bequest Award for Excellence in Painting. She bases her practice around everyday life and draws on everyday observations and experiences. By using drawing and painting, she encourages us to celebrate our personal understanding of the ordinary.
Niamh said: "I feel shocked. I've now got something to build on next year, which is quite exciting. Coming to Gray's has been life changing, definitely. I've changed as a person and I've met so many new people. Now I feel like I know what I'm doing a bit more with myself in life.
"Gray's has been the best time of my life and studying painting has taught me so much not only about my course subject, but also art as a whole. The tutors and technicians at Gray's have a passion for their crafts that has been passed on to their students including myself. It feels bittersweet to be leaving Gray's, but studying here has given me all I need to continue painting. Gray's has been a real hub, a safe space and a creative boost for everything that I've done. I'm going to miss it a lot."
Image credit: Martin Parker, Gatehouse Design Agency. Gallery images show, Gray's award winners including Kirsty Bell, Jessica Reid, Weronika Turowska, images from Gray's student under the alias 'NWL Ltd, Chief Value Officer, Scotland Office', and Niamh Hughes.
