Starcrossing; Kitchen Madness; Phantasmagoria; A Pangolin’s Tale; Fridge and Chaos are some of the most varied I personally can remember seeing at the Degree Show. No two are alike in style or tone, spanning a refreshing mix of genres from the comedic to the mystical to the horrific. What they do have in common is the fact that they all successfully continue to uphold the high bar of quality that can be expected from the showcase.
Jaeden Cargill makes large gestural paintings and installations which incorporate collage, montage
and video overlaid to create dynamic moving images. The paintings suggest a succession of
splintered images, events and concepts that recall the thinking of Deleuze and Bergmann.
Graduates using bold, graphic styles include Zofia Chamienia’s use of flat, contrasting colours
creates a collage-like effect, with bold colourways such as hot pink, orange and white on a black
background. Her simplified figures are full of lively movement and energy. Tia Fox has created a
beautiful set of large, wooden 2-d images of dinosaurs, to complement her informative children’s
book. Her use of intense, dark greens and browns creates a sense of weight for the reptiles and gives
the illusion of a natural environment for them.
In a dimmed corner of the fine artworks on display on the fifth floor, Maria Touloupa’s Divine Femininity enlightens contemporary female divinity through dreamy saints superimposed upon their reflection on clear acrylic. Touloupa, who is concerned with evanescing traditions and a world which is ‘but a surreal imitation of normality’, accentuates religious iconography with manipulated photography to create an ‘almost illusionary world’ which reflects upon the absurdity of our own world, which is occupied by almost fanatical societal developments such as Artificial Intelligence.
DJCAD Art, Design & Architecture Degree Show 202221 – 29 May 2022 The Duncan of Jordanstone Art, Design and Architecture Degree Show returned amidst much excitement this weekend following a two-year pandemic hiatus. Now accompanied by an online version, this showcase of graduating student talent is staged within DJCAD’s studio and exhibition space, organised into three Read More
Once again, the students of Interior and Environmental Design have shown that their discipline cannot be written off as one that prioritises surface-level decoration and soft furnishings, with a range of works highlighting the essential connection between the interior and external environment for the improvement of our quality of life. The works on display range Read More
This year’s Fine Art exhibits on the 5th floor of the Matthew Building showcase works by students remembering pasts, caring about environments, protesting against injustice, celebrating life and fearing mortality. Clustered together in groups representing connected themes or media, the coherence works well, though, on occasions, individuality is more appropriate and some work stands alone Read More
Before the DJCAD Degree Show, I’d thought the textiles department would somewhat lack the variety and excitement of, for example, fine art. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The textile exhibitions, which span three rooms on the third floor of the Crawford building, surpassed all my expectations. The first of the three studios is a Read More
Entering the Cooper Gallery, the first thing I see is a series of faces. Twenty portraits hang adjacent to the entrance, but before I can even fully step into the room the wind sneaks in from the open door and encourages an installation of pink fabric to my right to flutter and dance in the Read More
Unlike many other artistic endeavours, Architecture at university or art school level can only ever be theoretical, it can only ever exist in the imagination. It is difficult to convey the feeling of being in a space or to experience a built environment without being in those spaces themselves. Yet, students of the discipline labour Read More
