Knights Park Art Showcase Sees Soar In Student Confidence

FINE ART Students across the first year are now keen to exhibit their work professionally after receiving a huge confidence boost at their university showcase last Wednesday.

Many students at the exhibition commented on how they felt an increase in pride and confidence after watching their work be appreciated by a large and varied audience at the show.

Saskia Henshall-Harris

Natasha McHugh

Rosie De Selincourt

Emily Wye

"I think it is quite a confidence boost because you're here in an environment where you've got so many artistic people around you," said student sculptor Rosie de Selincourt. "When you've got this many people coming to such a tiny little show just to see some work and are so interested in it, it feels really good."

Some students feel they are now ready to find galleries and take the initiative to self-promote their creations.

Student Saskia Henshall-Harris, who was holding a live drawing activity at the showcase, said: "We're doing this show so that we feel confident enough to go out to galleries and do it ourselves."

"It's a really good starting point to start putting work together, and actually brings us all together as a group."

Over 60 KU students exhibited pieces that included sculpture, painting, photography, printing and live performances, all of which were the results of weeks of hard work and dedication to their individual crafts.

Each following their own unique theme, the students put together an incredible exhibition showing off all kinds of talent.

"It's great because it makes you think about your work so much more in relation to curation," said Fine art student Emily Wye. "It's so helpful."

Student Ben Dawson exhibited a very intriguing video piece that drew a lot of attention at the showcase.

The piece involved Mr Dawson being filmed inside his bath, whilst displaying projections of himself behind him.

"I'm interested in this idea of private events becoming extremely public." said Dawson.

"It's kind of a weird process of being clean and not clean. For me bathrooms are very interesting psychological headspaces; I don't know how i feel in them a lot. So taking a bath in a weird room with a lot of people watching was quite funny."

The project was noted to be quite similar to Tracey Emin's 'My Bed' piece, as both reflect the concept of something very intimate being brought into the public eye, and exaggerating normal life.

When asked about his thoughts on having the showcase, Dawson replied: "It's been really good-the show's worked really well as we're all a really diverse group."

All photos taken by Sophie Naisbitt