personal statement

Having studied a number of different art forms, I feel that fashion encapsulates all the elements which excite me, whilst also allowing and encouraging multi-practice crossovers. My experience on my foundation so far has helped me to push personal boundaries and broaden my understanding, especially in my specialist choice of fashion and textiles. I hope to be challenged further and explore different sectors of fashion in more depth on the BA.

The foundation has helped show me the importance of trusting the process and has given me confidence to believe in my creative direction, and produce work that at times surprises me. A challenge I have risen to is the fast-paced nature of each project. Where I would have deliberated over ideas at length I now have the ability to express my initial instincts and use this to develop and refine them, resulting in more organic outcomes.

Projects of mine such as ‘Multiples’ have allowed me to explore working back and forth with 3D forms to drawings and collages, in order to gain new perspectives and generate authentic responses. This has given me the opportunity to explore a wider range of skills and materials. Working with more unconventional materials such as metal bolts and a deconstructed carpet bag has allowed me to experiment with creating interesting forms and structures on the body. Being someone who frequently looks to historical references for inspiration, I am often excited by stories and experiences from different points of view, and try to relate them to my own as I feel it helps me to give my creations a narrative. This is illustrated in a recent project about my heritage where I studied Joseph William Turner’s observational sketches of the 1822 Peer’s Ball, which influenced my parents’ wedding. Throughout this project I utilised many different sources of information from library books, historical artefacts, and my own grandfather’s experiences, to gain as much information as I could about both my family and their heritage. At times using things far from artistic references to influence my work. Former (pre-split) Yugoslavia’s national relay race was a large influence for my project’s aim of uniting multiple cultures to gain both shape for body and print for textile. Working and gaining feedback from my peers has also been something that I have found extremely helpful throughout the foundation as I have felt getting a more diverse perspective, from others who have a completely different mindset to you often results in more interesting ideas and references which is something that I would love to do more of on the BA.

My creative interests up until this point have given me a broad library of influences. A designer who has excited me is sculptor Misha Kahn, whose work explores several innovative processes which really push traditional perceptions of materials, creating abstract and futuristic functional forms. He creates a fantasy wonderland in and alongside his work that I wish to explore in my work.

Away from my studies I enjoy surrounding myself in nature to unwind and disconnect, giving me the opportunity to let my mind wonder freely benefiting my creative process. My interest in film and photography, goes hand in hand with my studies, as presenting my work in different visual forms is very important. Films such as Albert Maysles ‘Grey Gardens’ and David Finchers ‘Seven’ have found their way into my research of human relations with possessions.

I am driven to take my creativity further on to the BA level to develop my work in a greater depth through more extensive research and see my outcomes progress at a more technically advanced level, involving traditional and contemporary materials, be it self-made or sustainably sourced. I feel my creativity would thrive in a diverse environment bringing differing views and cultural references alongside the help of specialist tutors. I particularly value the importance of industry links which would help inform future decisions.

personal statement

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