A former Art and Design student from West Suffolk College (WSC) was recently featured in her second London exhibition.
Rose Boakes, 19, who recently achieve a Distinction grade in her Level 3 Foundation Diploma at WSC, was selected to display a piece of work in the ‘10,000 Hours’ exhibition on the 3 September.
The event was hosted by Studio 404 and took place at Laundry Studios, Hackney.
Having previously displayed her work in her first exhibition at the University of the Arts London’s ‘Origins’ show, she was then invited to show the same piece at Laundry Studios.
Rose’s giant, neon acrylic hanging – titled ‘Perseus turning Phineas and his followers to acrylic’, a play on the Luca Giordano painting, ‘Perseus turning Phineas and his followers to stone’ – demonstrates her skills using a collage-based approach to producing high-quality work.
Progressing from her A-Level photography studies, Rose decided to expand her artistic view with an Art and Design Foundation Diploma. She said: “I chose to do this foundation course because I wanted to try new things before branching out into a very independent degree. This course helped me expand my practice, work more independently, and become more confident.”
Staff from the college continued to support Rose with her artistic endeavours after graduating, assisting her with the three-hour installation of her piece for the display.
About her time at WSC, Rose said: “I truly enjoyed everything I was doing. I took pride in coming home and updating my slides or adding and developing work. The tutors could always pinpoint areas of improvement and kept motivation high. As well as supporting ambition and helping me problem solve, they expanded my palette and the way I view art through a diverse range of workshops.”
Liam Baxter, a Technician within the Art Department at WSC, said: “Supporting Rose in taking her work from the classroom through to exhibition has been particularly rewarding. She has consistently demonstrated an eagerness to learn new skills, a willingness to experiment, and a strong commitment to developing her creative practice. We are incredibly proud of her and the development she has made during her time with us.”
Rose is now living in London and has begun studying a Fine Art & Art History degree at Goldsmiths, University of London.
