Visiting Camberwell's MA Illustration and Chelsea's MA Textile Design Graduate Showcase, held at Camberwell College of Arts

Upon arriving at Camberwell, I hopped into the canteen; the place was overflowing with complimentary drinks and clusters of conversation – proud family and friends as well as relieved students basking in their achievements. As awkward as I am, I was here to enjoy myself and get to know some of my fellow master’s students. I decided to get a glass of wine from the bar, in the line I met a nice lady who works in UAL administration, we had a short chat about the atmosphere, and she gave me directions to where the showcase actually was (it was upstairs, who would have thought). From the bar, we parted ways.

Before I went upstairs, I met Karina, a student on the MA Illustration course whose work was on display. I felt a little bad for interrupting her chat with her friends, but she was really nice about it and was even happy to answer my questions. As a former BA Illustration at UAL, she simply decided to continue with an MA to further build her skillset, hoping to get into higher education and freelancing. Her work centred around menstruation and PMS, the myths about it that burden women and how period pains are not taken seriously by medical professionals – her mother’s experiences with this inspired her to tackle these issues in her work through posters and jewellery (the later which she was selling to raise money for charity). I asked her what she learnt during her time on the course and what advice she would give to incoming postgraduates into UAL, she simply told me that one should do what inspires them and concentrate their efforts on what they love (which makes things easier as postgraduate studies involve a lot of self-learning).

Camberwell’s graduate showcase was separated by degree, with other blocks hosting exhibitions for MA Fine Art and MA Design Maker. I went to the first floor to go through the MA Illustration exhibition. I was surprised at the diversity in mediums used and stories told during this exhibition. For an illustration exhibition, I was not expecting to see animations, ceramics, VR setups, projections, ink prints, photography, and zines (just to name a few) but was amazed at how students were not limited in their methods of communication. I even saw work by a student that was anime-inspired, and as an otaku, I felt very happy about the art style being showcased in a school like UAL. As I went through the exhibition, I met the same administrative staff lady from earlier, it was a pleasant encounter and we just shared how we were finding the exhibition. We parted ways once more.

Not only were there a wide variety of methods used but also many perspectives and stories told. There were works that were sentimental, such as a student’s mother’s dress and its story; looking at cultural heritage; discussing marginalised communities and the issues they go through; highlighting historic moments of activism, etc. There were also ones that I found amusing and whimsical, like an internet stan-inspired monopoly game, a piece about ‘good bread’ and a TFL carnival; at the latter, I met the artist, Vittoria. Vittoria was also a UAL student that continued from a BA (but she had done hers in graphic design and communication at Chelsea). When I asked her about what inspired her piece, she simply said that she found the London commute annoying, which anyone who lives far away can relate to. She wanted to make the concept of commuting more fun, illustrating an atmosphere similar to the celebrations in her home country of Italy like Martedì Grasso (Mardi Gras). Vittoria, when asked to look back on her studies and give advice, stated that one needs to be confident in their practise and embrace the self-directed approach that UAL encourages. Vittoria intends to return to Italy to freelance after graduation.

After saying our goodbyes, I went to the next floor to check out the MA Textile Design exhibition. Unlike illustration, I didn’t know much about textile design so I didn’t know what to expect. Once there, I saw a number of eye-opening pieces. Students were able to tell stories with pieces of fabric and sewing patterns, which was very cool. I also saw some unexpected pieces, such as one made out of sand, some made of leather and a giant blush bell.

As the night was wrapping up, I went back to the MA Illustration floor, skipping through the ‘In the Making’ section, where students also showcase the working process for their pieces. Eventually, I happened upon a section of the exhibition floor that was fashioned into an artist shop, where student-made souvenirs, accessories and work were up for sale – I was spoilt for choice but decided to purchase two postcards that would fit right into my poster wall. Even as a student at the Creative Computing Institute, I found many works and mediums in this graduate showcase that I could relate to either through personal experiences or in my own creative practice. There were of course odd pieces, but I never found them out of place during the showcase – I feel that unexpected and original artworks with unconventional storytelling is par for the course at UAL.

With that, I made my way back home in the drizzling rain, thinking back on this amazing exhibition and how the whole experience made me feel proud to be a student here.