GradEX gives graduating students an opportunity to showcase themselves and their work to industry professionals! We managed to grab a few students for a chat about their GradEX presentations...
GradEX gives the graduating class of 2019 a chance to show their work to industry professionals and potential employers, across two days of ceremonies, prizes and a whole lot of university pride! Between the judging, we managed to grab some of the exhibiting students for a chat about their work and their GradEX experience…
Photography: ‘We Mean Business’ by Lucy Scott
Lucy described her project as “a fashion photography project exploring the relevance and meaning of the suit to women in modern society", telling us that she chose to photograph women from a variety of careers in suits. When asked about her GradEX experience, Lucy told us about her excitement for the creative subjects in the university – “I think it's great that they’ve included the creative courses this year – we definitely need to focus on the creative subjects."
Surface Pattern: ‘Space Race/When I Was a Lad in a Fishing Town’ by Harriet Morgan
Harriet was one of many students that had more than one project on display, really showcasing how transferable her designs were – from fabric to ceramic! Inspired by the 1960’s space race, Harriet’s fabric designs feature tin toys, arcade machines and ray guns! Alongside this, she presented a series of ceramics pieces that she described as “inspired by papercuts and illustrations of old sailors, fishermen and inspirations from the seaside towns I grew up in". When asked about GradEX, Harriet told us "I think it's good to get more people looking at our work – coming in and seeing it all set up together. A great opportunity to get professional feedback, too."
Photojournalism by Molly Woodhouse
Molly’s project focused on documenting makeup and self-care routines, telling us that her images illustrate “the daily rituals that people go through to create their idealised self-image." Excited to be apart of GradEX, Molly told us she felt it was a great opportunity to further promote her work and network with future employers.
Cartoon & Comic Arts: ‘The Beast of Gévaudan’ by Conan McPhee
Influenced by 1930’s animation character style, Conan created a horror comic produced through a mixture of 3D and hand drawn artwork. His favourite part of his GradEX experience had been getting the opportunity to share and discuss his work with people outside of his course. As a mature student, Conan also chatted to us about his university experience from this perspective, saying “I would encourage any potential mature students to just do it! You experience university in a totally different way, and it's been amazing for me! I think I've been more successful than I would've been, had I come to university in my twenties."
Graphic Design: ‘Animo’ by Joshua Wallett
Josh’s project, Amino, was a prototype mental health companion app – designed to aid people with mental health issues. When asked about it, Josh told us “I wanted to use my skills to improve people's lives through designing mental health support”. Calling it “a great experience overall”, Josh talked to us about GradEX being a great networking experience.
Ceramics: ‘Modern Rituals’ by Nicole Waefler
“My project is a collection of multi-functional ceramics – assigning new roles to everyday things,” Nicole told us when asked about her work. With the pieces being stackable, Nicole told us she wanted to bring a sense of playfulness to everyday objects. Chatting to us about GradEX, Nicole talked about what she felt she’d gained for it, saying “having experience presenting yourself in a professional way is really positive, especially whilst showcasing your work”.