Students shift of creative thought

Design and Arts College of New Zealand’s (D&A) fine arts department are in full swing preparing for their third year students graduating exhibition Shift.  After earlier being postponed, the well awaited exhibition opens on Wednesday 15th June at 5.30pm.

Each student will be exhibiting work from a self-directed brief, encouraging independence, a must for an industry based career.The exhibition promises an extensive range of innovative work from third year students, including painting, sculpture, photography, graphic design, print media, drawing and video work.

The third year students have risen in the face of adversity, many starting their work from scratch. The title students Shift was chosen as it alludes to the change everyone is facing at present.

One exhibiting Fine Arts student, Roseanne Taurima, is taking a creative outlook on recent events and constructing an installation art piece focused on the earthquake. She is casting odd socks to create an art piece that refers to the dislocation many people can relate to. Earthquaked out of her home on 22 February she found herself wandering the streets of Christchurch with her worldly goods in a wheely bin wondering what to do next. At a huge time of change, Roseanne decided to focus on her final years work and share her experience through her art.
        “My work is about loss and displacement. The idea is that the socks are an artistic metaphor for the feelings we are all experiencing after the February earthquake. I started collecting odd socks from the people of Christchurch, we shared earthquake stories, it was a very cathartic experience” explains Taurima.
 
Exhibitions are very important for students as it gives them much needed experience of working within the industry.
        “The graduating exhibition allows the Fine Arts students to experience exhibiting in a public exhibition space with strict deadlines, set up criteria and critique” says Janet Abbott, Fine Arts Programme Coordinator.

The public are encouraged to attend and view these talented students creations at the opening on Wednesday 15th June, 5.30-7pm at Open Polytechnic, Level 1, 166 Moorhouse Ave, Christchurch.