Student Award logo 2017

Leicester Society of Artists is pleased to announce the shortlist for the LSA Student Award 2017:

Yin-Ren Chang, PhD Modern Holography, De Montfort University
Sarah Charlton, Design Crafts BA, De Montfort University
Helen Jayne Gunn , BA Fine Art, De Montfort University
Holly Kerslake, BA Fine Art, Loughborough University
Stefania Laccu, PhD Fine Art (year 1), De Montfort University
Indre Rimselyte, BA Fine Art, De Montfort University
Christopher Samuel, BA Fine Art, De Montfort University

Yin-Ren Chang
De Montfort University

PhD Modern Holography

Artwork by Yin-Reng Chang

Yin-Ren Chang, 'Time within Time No.1', Lenticular, triptych

"My practice-based study deals with the creative potential of arts in union with modern science and technologies, especially those relating to the use of 3D imaging technology, such as lenticular, anaglyph and holography. The synthesis presents an incredible opportunity to further explore the strong intertwining between novel forms of artistic expression and optical effects. My current artworks focus on an exploration of the 3D imaging technology aesthetic, to suggest a new expressive form of depicting and interpreting time."

Sarah Charlton
De Montfort University
Design Crafts BA

Artwork by Sarah Charlton

Sarah Charlton, 'Cube collection', multimedia

"Inspired by intricate patterns and complex geometry, my work is often highly decorative, comparing and combining traditional handmade techniques with innovative digital technologies. The exploration of material, process and finish has been my recent focus, creating a collection of experimental samples. This then developed into a collection of cubes created by digital technologies. . .

Each cube is slightly different, created with a different material, process of finish."

Helen Jayne Gunn
De Montfort University
BA Fine Art

Artwork by Sarah Jayne Gunn

Sarah Jayne Gunn, 'Dessicated Form 1' (top), watercolour
Sarah Jayne Gunn, 'Thrown' (below), recycled/sacrificial woods, 'thrown' materials from an allotment, plant matter

 "The architecture of nature is the broad context for my artworks; by that I mean the flora and structures typical of wasteland, rural landscapes and land usage. The starting point for my artworks include loose observational drawings of landscape, structures or plant details captured at various stages of their life cycle or seasonal change. I also make sound and video recordings. My 3D artworks are constructed from materials marked or damaged in some way by previous usage or fabrication.  The aim of these sculptures or installations - even when large - is to suggest fragility and inescapable inter-connection with wider, complex systems.  . . .I feel that the Western art world's traditional dialogue with landscape as lyrical and pastoral is critically challenged by awareness of global industry and destructive costs to diverse natural environments.   As a contemporary artist my objectives are to witness and present expressions of bio-diversity, flora and landscape both free from and under the taut pressures of agriculture, trade and wider cultural demands."   

Holly Kerslake
Loughborough University
BA Fine Art

Painting by Holly Kerslake

Holly Kerslake, 'No Entiendo', oil on canvas

"Fascinated by the intricacies of thought, my paintings attempt to depict the process of comprehension within oneself. The surrealist paintings depict the internal landscape of our mind, where unique experiences, knowledge and data are visualised as unique ‘building blocks’. These shapes energetically fit together like a complex jigsaw, connecting information to form an overall body of understanding.

This visualisation derives from combined works by Noam Chomsky and James Carey, whose theories draw parallels between the geographical transfer of verbal communication, and the workings of the mind. In the paintings, the individual pieces are shown as lucid shapes, whose forms change as your perception of the data shifts – providing new understandings and interpretations. The works show energy, conflict and tension which reflect the difficulties and joys of expanding and extending ones knowledge."

Stefania Laccu,
De Montfort University
PhD Fine Art (year 1)

Artwork by Stefania Laccu

Stefania Laccu, 'The Anatomy of the Mind-Body (series) No.1', oil on acetates applied on metal foil

"My practice-based research project is rooted in the field of painting and mental illnesses, namely Somatic Symptom Disorders (SSD). This is a condition on which emotional distress such as anxiety affects the body, generating physical discomforts and pain. There is not a proper cure.

My primary focus is the establishment of a pictorial approach, whose practice is able to embody the subjective manifestation and the course of a somatic disorder within the body, through a specific pictorial technique I called Overlapping. The resulting optical effects can be considered as a metaphor of the embodiment process. The evanescent colours represent the transitional symptoms that affect the body during emotional states such as irregular heart rhythm, shortness of breath, digestive disorder and generalised painful conditions. My research is centred in articulating a theoretical and practical parallelism between the psycho-physical qualities of painting and the body."

Indre Rimselyte
De Montfort University
BA Fine Art

Painting by Indre Rimselyte

Indre Rimselyte, '113 Blue Monkeys', oil

"Even though humans are classified for the purposes of biological study as animals, there is a distinct separation between the understanding of ‘animal’ and ‘human’. With her work, Indre Rimselyte is exploring why and how the idea of being part of nature and other living creatures has drifted away from humankind. In particular, the artist is interested in similarities and communication between different species. Using oil paint she creates figurative paintings of different realities and fantasy worlds. The work goes through stages, which include photographs, drawings, collages and paintings. While showing the supernatural, vibrant worlds where her ideas come to life the artist talks about real issues of the human-animal psychology. Rimselyte believes that the way we communicate with living creatures surrounding us is to do with our childhood and it is one of her main subjects of exploration."

Christopher Samuel
De Montfort University
BA Fine Art

Artwork by Christopher Samuel

Christopher Samuel, 'My Family', copper, pewter, glass, ceramic, audio

"My practice as a multi-disciplinary artist is rooted in my own experience of person-centred counselling, which greatly impacted my thinking on the dynamics of family relationships and issues around personal identity and how it is generated. My work often begins with an exploration of my own identity, evolving into a broader look at individual perspectives, in my latest work this included interviewing others about their own family ties.

The simple material inflections of different objects made from glass, ceramics, and carpentry substituted themselves as characteristics associated with personal appearance, age, sex, class and personality. The objects act as metaphors; symbolic gestures that convey personal stories. The arrangement of the objects acts as a visual representation of each narrative, with the position of each one in relation to another determined by the individual interviewed. "

The winner and two runners-up will be announced on the LSA website on Thursday 24 August 2017.