Westminster’s annual degree shows are a celebration and showcase of our creative students’ talents and hard work. The student work is a culmination of the skills and creative practices developed during their studies. The degree shows are highly anticipated amongst students, staff and industry guests every year.
Our Fine Art Mixed Media BA allows students to explore a range of mediums to develop their creative practice. Students benefit from the diversity of the course, working across many disciplines and alongside different creative students such as videographers, painters and sculptors.
This year we spoke with Ruth Martin and Hansnii Aukhjee, third-year Fine Art Mixed Media BA students. Ahead of their showcase, they told us about their projects, preparations for their show and their aspirations for the future.
- What are you most excited about for the degree shows?
Hansnii Aukhjee: I am most excited about the private view of my final degree show, as my family and friends will be there.
Ruth Martin: To see everyone’s hard work come together and to celebrate the three years we have shared.
2. Tell us more about the activities you’ve been involved in to help organise and prepare for your degree show
Hansnii Aukhjee: I was part of the project team involved in designing and preparing our exhibition space, Ambika P3. It was our responsibility to make sure we utilise the space effectively to show all of our work, in the best possible way and on time.
Ruth Martin: I helped to create the degree show catalogue. The catalogue was available to guests who attended the exhibition and featured images of our work not on display at the exhibition. It is a great opportunity to show a wider selection of our work to guests.
3. Can you tell us about your final project and what inspired your creative thinking?
Ruth Martin: My inspiration for this final project has been a continued reflection on the relationship between the internal/external body, and what is hidden between the meanings of organs, memories, grief and joy.
11.30, Friday Morning, is inspired by the feelings I experience during one of my regular and routine appointments. Tiredness and weakness from injections, testing, and the weight of sickness. Waiting around in a hospital bed for my next instillation, whilst time ticks over, 11:30, 11:31, 11:36. Sharp cold pain as I go through treatment.
5, is a reflection of 5 years since my beloved friend Alastair McDonald passed away, alongside the duality of painting every day, and in hospital (nearly) every week. Patching myself together with neon tape, I find myself tethered between sickness, grief, recovery and joy, which is what this piece hopes to hold.
Hansnii Aukhjee: My final project, Limerence took a personal route where my work focuses on mental health and how it affects me daily. Limerence is a mental health condition where an individual has obsessive thoughts or fantasies about someone they like. My work explores the thoughts and feelings of a Limerent, as well as raising awareness of the condition.
4. How has your course prepared you for your final project?
Hansnii Aukhjee: My course has prepared me extremely well for my final project. I have had access to the 3D workshop, throughout my course, where I created the majority of my work. My tutor has been a great support whilst at Westminster, providing me with feedback on how best to improve my work, which has helped me immensely.
During my degree, I worked in the sculpture room, silkscreen printing department, the Emerging Media Space (EMS), metalwork and woodwork department. Having access to this wide range of facilities, it allowed me to learn new skills such as welding and casting and prepare for my final project.
Ruth Martin: Throughout the course, we were given many opportunities to experience life as a professional artist. We were encouraged to help with setting up shows as well as putting on our exhibitions and exhibiting our work regularly.
5. What do you hope to achieve from your final project?
Ruth Martin: I hope to be satisfied with the outcome, and to feel a sense of completion of this part of my artistic journey. I hope that my paintings start conversations and that I feel happy with the outcome of the project.
6. Is there anything else you would like to share about your final project or upcoming degree show
Hansnii Aukhjee: I would like to thank the fine art technicians for all their hard work and effort in helping us throughout the whole process of building our spaces and setting up our work, along with the tutors aiding them. A huge thank you to the students who helped in putting together the catalogue and organising the auction to raise funds for our show.
Ruth Martin: It’s been more difficult than I thought it would be, but the sense of camaraderie within the year has been beautiful. It’s been a joy to be a student at the University of Westminster and one of the best decisions of my life. I look forward to continuing to paint and make art. My plan is to have my own art studio, get a residency, and following that pursue postgraduate study in fine art.
To find out more, please visit Westminster Degree Shows 2023 or watch our Westminster Degree Shows TikTok.
About the University of Westminster
As one of the most diverse universities in the UK, we are a global university with London energy with more than 19,000 students from 169 countries. To find out more about our courses, visit the University of Westminster website.
