UWE Bristol MA students present Showcase at Spike Island

Around 50 graduating students from MA Fine Art, MA Graphic Arts, and MA Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking will exhibit their work at UWE Bristol’s Showcase MA Degree Show, held at Spike Island from 4 September.

The free exhibition starts with an open evening on Thursday and is open daily from Friday 5 September until Wednesday 10 September, offering the public an opportunity to enjoy ambitious and innovative designs from the next generation of creative talent.

Marking the culmination of their postgraduate studies, the MA Degree Show features art and design work inspired by a variety of themes and life experiences.

Some of the students exhibiting are:

Mahtab Garrousi, studying MA Graphic Arts. Mahtab’s project explores collage art and its influence on Persian culture.

“As a Persian student, I wanted to work on my own heritage because I believe it is rich, beautiful, and full of aspects that deserve to be investigated and shared,” said Mahtab.

The work combines traditional Persian visual elements with contemporary collage techniques, aiming to create a dialogue between past and present. Inspired by the depth of Persian cultural history and the potential of collage as a medium to layer histories, symbols, and identities, Mahtab’s aim is to reinterpret cultural narratives and invite audiences to connect with them in a fresh, visual way. 

Mahtab added: “This MA course has given me the confidence to develop my voice as an artist and allowed my interests and talents to flourish in new ways. Exhibiting at Spike Island feels like an exciting opportunity to share my perspective with a wider audience.”

Humberto Cunha do Espirito Santo, studying MA Graphic Arts. Humberto, who’s originally from Timor-Leste but has been living in Bristol since 2014, is exhibiting his final project which is based on the deeply personal topic of social anxiety. Relating to his own experience of living with a stammer, he wants to share his story to raise awareness of the challenges many people face in silence.

The project includes three posters, one A0 and two A1, in portrait format, and a four-minute video and a 50-second motion graphic. In the video, Humberto recreates the iconic speech from The King's Speech, reading the same words delivered by King George VI.

“I strongly relate to his struggle with public speaking,” said Humberto. “Like him, I find it challenging to speak in front of others, even simple conversations with new people can be overwhelming. This project has given me a powerful way to express those feelings visually and emotionally.

“Studying MA Graphic Arts at UWE Bristol has been a valuable and inspiring experience. It’s given me the space to grow creatively and explore meaningful, personal themes through design - something I’ve always wanted to do.”

Hannah Kelly, studying MA Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking: Bedminster-based, Hannah’s work is underpinned by natural human connection to place. Her printmaking is an expression of her dedication to the ecologists and artists who warned of climate change - her awe for all that is natural, felt and real.

She says: “As we live through climatic, personal and environmental flux, we are on the edge of light. I observe moments as landscapes from the perspective of the small and a naturalist. Perhaps we see continuity, yet we know there is transience throughout the minutia and the magnitude of each place experienced. Water meets land, trees cling to the wild steep mountain’s edge.”

‘Before the deluge’ is a body of work which explores a language of superimposition in which the innate interconnection between colour, tone and texture begin to communicate a deep symbiotic relationship between light and shadow. Threads of generations of life, ever present in natural and human history.

The opening times for the MA Degree Show are:

Thursday 4 September 17:00 – 20:00 (open evening)
Friday 5 to Wednesday 10 September 12:00 – 17:00

No booking is required.

School of Arts meet the lecturers drop-in:

As part of the event, prospective students are invited to drop-in and meet the lecturers on Saturday 6 September to find out more about postgraduate programmes, including:

• MA Fine Art
• MA Fine Art: Curating
• MA Fine Art: Printmaking
• MA Fine Art: Photography
• MA Design Communication: Illustration
• MA Design Communication: Graphic Design
• MA Design Communication: Fashion Photography.

The event is open from 12:00 – 14:00. Booking is required for the drop-in session.

Dr Will Grant, Associate Director of Postgraduate Taught Studies in UWE Bristol’s School of Arts, said: “This year’s MA Showcase brings together the creativity, skill and hard work of our graduating students; they should all be incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved. This exhibition is a chance to step into their world and experience their ideas first-hand.”

The Showcase: MA Degree Show combines an exhibition at Spike Island, accompanied by a digital Showcase.