Creative Arts students from Guildford College celebrated the culmination of their hard work and creativity at a special Private View event for their Art and Photography Exhibition on Tuesday 17 June.
Held at the college’s Stoke Park campus, the photography studio was transformed into a vibrant gallery space, showcasing a diverse and impressive range of student work from across the Art & Design and Photography pathways.
The exhibition featured a variety of creative disciplines including life drawing, painting, mixed media, model-making, photography, graphic design and illustration – all reflecting the skills, imagination and dedication of the students.
During the evening, selected students were presented with certificates in recognition of their hard work throughout their studies. Tutors Melissa Sheffield and Steve Moonan were proud to lead a short awards ceremony to honour their achievements.
Among those celebrated was Level 3 Creative Practice: Art and Design student, Lewis Marsden, who received the Student of the Year award for his dedication and creativity. Lewis’s piece, entitled Monsters, explored the crossover between the animal kingdom and mythical beings. His intricate pen drawing, presented as a screen print, brought to life a unique hybrid creature.
“I’m really pleased with how my piece turned out,” said Lewis. “It took weeks of research and time to develop the final artwork, but I’m proud of the result.”
Lewis will be returning to Guildford College in September to complete the second year of his Level 3 qualification.
Congratulations also go to the following students who received Student of the Year awards:
- Level 1 Diploma – Tyler Jones
- Level 2 Diploma – Lucy Wright & Elise Edema
- Level 3 Diploma in Creative Practice: Art and Design – Lewis Marsden & Logan Longster
- Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice – Dan Seadon & Tarmim Shah
- Level 3 Foundation Diploma – Isabel Treanor
Special recognition was given to Tarmim Shah, a Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art and Design student, who is moving on after six years at Guildford College. Tarmim is progressing to study a BA (Hons) in Photography at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in Farnham.
His deeply personal final piece, Gloria, explores the theme of healing – both emotional and physical – through photography.
Tarmim said: “Healing is a process we all go through in life. I wanted to express this through photography because it’s such a personal subject for me. I chose the name Gloria because in Latin it means Glory – I believe that when we heal, we gain new perspective, clarity, and beauty within ourselves.”
Tarmim was also named Student of the Year in his category, a fitting tribute to the incredible journey he has undertaken during his time at the college.
Art Foundation Diploma student Charlie Ellement’s stunning sculpture entitled Perception of Decay explored the decomposition process, comparing human bodies to that of plants and animals.
Made from waste cardboard, papier mache and acrylic paint, the piece resembles a human torso with the colouring and texturing of a fallen tree.
Charlie said: “What I am most proud of with this piece is the careful thought put into every part of the sculpture to accurately model the torso from a simple and versatile material such as cardboard.”
Charlie is now set to progress onto Nottingham Trent University in September to embark on a Design for Film and Television BA (Hons) programme.
Level 3 Extended Diploma Creative Practice student Dan Seadon was also awarded Student of the Year. His striking and immersive piece, Au Revoir, explores the idea of life after death, reflecting on death as a natural and inevitable part of life, closely connected to the rhythms of nature.
Dan said: “I used the form of a tree to represent natural everlasting life beyond our own, rooted in time. Surrounding it with vivid red tones to symbolise love and reconnection.” Dan will be heading to UCA Farnham this September to begin a BA (Hons) degree in Design for Theatre and Screen.
Melissa Sheffield, Creative Arts Lecturer at Activate Learning, said:
“We were thrilled to welcome students, their families, staff, and members of the local community to this week’s private view exhibition.
Once again, our students have amazed us with their creativity and commitment. The work on show is a real testament to their talent and the support they’ve received from our dedicated staff throughout their journey.
This is always a proud moment for us – a chance to celebrate our students’ incredible achievements and showcase the creativity we nurture throughout the year.
We wish our leavers all the very best for the future and look forward to welcoming new students this September.”
Interested in studying Art, Design or Digital Creative courses at Guildford College?
Visit guildford.activatelearning.ac.uk or call 0800 612 6008 to find out more.
More stunning examples of great art from our VERY talented students!
