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Post-Grad Mixer: Kew Gardens

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  • Published date 29 February 2024
Image credit: Anushka Tay, ‘Impressions - Lychee III’ (2022). Ink on paper. Original brush drawing by Anushka Tay created during her artist residency at Kew Gardens, created in response to the historical objects in the Economic Botany Collection.

Post-Grad Community Mixer: Kew Gardens

Wednesday 20 March 2024 | 11am meet up | Kew Gardens

This event has limited capacity. To ensure a fair opportunity for students across all UAL colleges, those wishing to join this event will be required to fill in a form and each ticket holder will be selected at random.

Please fill out this form and we will get back to you.

Join the Post-grad community for a mindful and creative day at the world-renowned Kew Gardens. As a group, you will be guided round the fascinating Economic Botany Collection, where you'll learn about the diverse uses of plants from around the world. Then, participate in a semi-structured drawing workshop, using the materials from the collection as inspiration to create your own botanical artworks.

In the afternoon, you will move to the gardens, enjoying a guided drawing session either outside among the stunning landscapes or inside the lush greenhouses. This will be a chance to engage with nature with creative expression.

Workshop description

The workshops at Kew Gardens include guided, semi-structured and self-directed activities.

In a guided tour of the Economic Botany Collection, we will explore how plants have been used for a range of practical purposes to support wellbeing. Then through two semi-structured workshops in drawing and mark-making, we will devise our own creative responses to botanical materials to foster a greater sense of connection to plants.

No previous drawing experience is necessary as the workshops are intended as a safe space for exploration and play.

Some drawing materials will be provided, or bring your own sketchbook and pencils (NB no messy or wet materials, or inky pens allowed in the EBC).

Bio

Anushka Tay is an artist working across text, textiles and music. She spent 6 months as the inaugural Artist in Residence at the Archive of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, where she researched plant textiles and 19th century plant collection across East Asia. She responded to these materials through a collection of sound works, creative writing, knitting and ink drawings.

For more info about Anushka’s residency, see her website

You can listen to a podcast about it here

Read Kew Garden's Accessibility Guide here

Related Links

UAL Post-Grad Community

Established in 2013, Post-Grad Community is an inclusive platform for all UAL postgraduate students to share work, find opportunities and connect with other creatives within the UAL and beyond. Find out more.