Kenneth goes to the Art Show at Uxbridge College

Creative Arts students heading for prestigious universities and art colleges including Central St Martins, London College of Fashion and Chelsea College of Arts were among those showcasing their fantastic skills at Uxbridge College’s exhibition – entitled Kenneth Goes to the Art Show and named after a real-life show-going dog.

The work by students at Levels 1, 2 and 3, covered a huge range of skills and media including painting and drawing, sculpture, ceramics, digital design and fashion. Inspiration was drawn from a wide range of topics from World War II, to global warming, to a K9 Dr Who desk tidy, to the ballet Romeo & Juliet. The canine theme continued throughout the show,  with graphic paw prints on the floor to show visitors the way, and ‘Best in Show’ rosettes for the best work.

David Storer, Section Manager for Creative Studies, said: “We’ve seen some really fantastic work this year and been extremely impressed by the standard at every level. The quality of the development, planning, design and technical skill reflects a commitment and professionalism which all the students have every reason to be extremely proud of. They have created great foundations for their futures whether they’re continuing to study at college, going to university, taking a gap year, or going directly into work.”

The Private View and fashion show was attended by guests including Kenneth – a 16-month-old miniature schnauzer – students’ friends and family, Uxbridge College Principal Laraine Smith OBE, and Barbara Fisher, Non-Executive Advisor on the Stakeholder & Scrutiny Committee.

Some of the work included: Raminta Smigelskaite’s ‘I am watching you’ installation (pictured) which explored the impact of social media on young people. She used the Instagram logo as inspiration for her boxes which explored how platforms of this kind can shape our self-identities through their emphasis on presenting ourselves in a socially acceptable way.

Michaela Mirza-Ghaderi’s installation evoking the sights and sounds of a slaughterhouse to challenge audiences to think about the reality of meat production. Vegetarian Michaela visited the historic Smithfield wholesale meat market in London to see the industry in action as part of her research. The first year Level 3 student will now progress to the second year on her UAL L3 Extended Diploma in Art & Design.

Tasnia Alam’s drawings and 3D models of her brutalist re-imagining of the Nestle factory site in Hayes, which is being redeveloped to make way for nearly 1,400 homes and office space. Tasnia has been at Uxbridge College for four years and also studied GCSEs and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages). She has been awarded a place on a BA Hons in Architecture at Central St Martins College.

An NHS-style sexual health campaign by Bardia Zandbaf, who is originally from Iran where there is a high incidence of sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) and education on the subject is banned. The work included leaflets and an animated infomercial. He now plans to study Graphic Design at Loughborough University.

Fashion designs were based on a range of themes including a design challenge set by the Royal Opera House, based on characters from its Kenneth MacMillan production of the ballet Romeo and Juliet, with the two finalists being Shivani Bamania (Year 2) and Rachel Odhialo (Year 1). Level 1 Art & Design students also showcased their range of jackets, creating brightly coloured and exciting designs under the title ‘Putting together’.

During the year, in addition to their coursework, creative arts students have taken part in work experience and partnership projects including creating murals for Rocket Software and Hillingdon Hospital, an exhibition in The Pavilions shopping centre in Uxbridge, a logo design project by branding agency Thinkfarm, and an assignment set by advertising agency JWT.

Best in Show rosettes were awarded to: Level 1, Tajinder Virdee – K9 Dr Who desk tidy product design; Level 2, Isheda Lee – series of sculptures entitled The Rings That Bind Us about balance & harmony; Level 3 Fashion, Shivani Bamania – transparent fashion designs; Level 3 Art, Holly Hamilton – Monument to the Uncomfortable Truth about climate change; Level 3 Graphics, Bardia Zandbaf – for his sexual health info graphics campaign.

The participants would like to thank Art & Design lecturer Jill Tattersall for allowing Kenneth to attend the show.

For photos from the show (look out for Kenneth!) go to: https://www.facebook.com/pg/uxbridgecollege/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156860580805283