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Art Student Profiles

Eden Russel
Art Graduate Eden Russel
Graduate: Aka Rakai Toi - Diploma in Art Level 6

Budding painter and photographer, Eden attributes her newfound obsession for abandoned houses and the narrow views from within to her time spent on the Diploma in Art at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. She believes the tutors helped her find her artistic focus and steer it in the right direction.

“One of the best things about this programme is that you are able to experiment in a wide range of mediums to find your strengths and interests. The tutors are passionate about art and they really want you to find your niche. They then help you to develop and refine it.”

Eden, a former resident of Tokoroa, is a quiet and unassuming artist who has certainly found her niche. She has developed an inexplicable attraction to empty houses and empty rooms. Her work, she says, is a kind of reflection of herself and fellow human beings whom she believes are generally locked within the ‘rooms’ of their bodies and have an often forlorn and limited view of the external world outside.  This obsession has become the  focal point of her poignant and haunting art work that leaves the viewer with an indelible sense of mystery and melancholy.

 “I have gained so much from studying this programme. The exhibitions were a great insight in to the commercial side of art. It was an interesting experience to have my work on show and open to public critique.

“Another key benefit of this programme was learning the tools for marketing my work appropriately.  That can be the hardest thing for an artist as we are often more creative than business minded.”

Since graduating, Eden is working in retail while creating her collection for galleries and online sales. This talented young woman has future plans to take travel and market her art internationally.

Written On: Friday, 18 March 2011
Ellie Lawler
Art graduate Ellie Lawler
Graduate: Aka Rakai Toi - Diploma in Art Level 6

Ellie is not one to easily conform to expectations and societal constraints. It’s no wonder she’s overjoyed to be following her art passion in a learning environment that mirrors just that.

“There are barely any restrictions to what we can do with our art in this Diploma. I feel like we are not confined to a box. The Programme Coordinator has created a programme that enables us to direct our own briefs and is committed to making the programme as unlimiting as possible. I feel this has been a very precious learning and growing opportunity for me.”

This young woman has been inspired by her tutor not only in his own creative abilities but in the feedback he passes on about her work. She is also thrilled that she was encouraged into  enrolling in the two year full-time Diploma in Art when initially she’d been looking for part-time study only.

“The course is really flexible so I have ample time to spend with my son. His school is really close by and while I’m in class I focus and work to get things done so my evenings are free to  devote to him. I feel very lucky to be pursuing a career in art and enjoy the continuity of coming into Polytechnic daily. It’s just so good to be doing this; I feel so lucky!”

Having dabbled in art all her life, Ellie believes she took a wrong turn into fashion design back in Britain and inevitably postponed what in her heart she knew she should be doing. Now  she’s absorbing every moment she can in her art to grow and develop her skills.

“I have really discovered the importance of collaboration with other like-minded people who share my passion for art. I’d been practicing as an artist for the previous three or four years but I
really craved to be around other artists to bounce creativity around with them. I also needed more direction in my art and to refine my skills. I’m definitely doing that in this course!”

In her last year of the Diploma, Ellie is already looking ahead to the end result. Her goal is to become a full-time practicing artist from her home studio. She believes she will be better prepared  to market herself in the world of art by the end of her study. Oil painting has always been her thing but now she’s finding her horizons opened into media she never thought she’d be into.

“I’ve got a new understanding of what art is now. It’s not necessarily particular objects or static pieces of work. It can be a composition of things that express something poignant, and I have  learnt that a body of work doesn’t need to say something specific. In fact it’s often better to be ambiguous and allow the viewer to interpret it based on their own feelings about it. Thereby it can  have the greater effect than me, the artist, telling them how they should perceive it.”

Written On: Thursday, 8 July 2010
Yana Griffits
Art graduate Yana Giffits
Graduate: Aka Rakai Toi - Diploma in Art Level 6
Employed: Selwyn Ridge Primary School, Tauranga

Yana Griffits has not only discovered her depth of passion for art, but along the way she has ‘found herself’. Born in communist Bulgaria, and migrating with her family to South Africa at  thirteen before finally coming to settle in the land of opportunity – New Zealand, Yana feels as though she has come full circle. She has found many commonalities between her new  home and her country of birth which have helped frame her identity and underpin her art.

“I was a bit apprehensive about studying the whakapapa component of the Diploma and I was not sure how it could be relevant to me. When I realised I could study my own personal  roots in Bulgaria and look more in to my genealogy, I was really excited."

"It has even taken me on another journey of researching geographically where Bulgarians actually came from. We go all the way back to Afghanistan, and what’s even more interesting  is that it is sculptures and artwork that have been found in Afghanistan that mirror art work found in our homeland. Art has been the missing link in our heritage.”

Before signing up to study the Diploma in Art at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Yana had cultivated the belief that art would always be a hobby and not necessarily an occupation. Under  communist rule in Bulgaria, only the very elite were permitted to study art. Skills gained in the programme revealed to Yana that she could turn her passion for art in to a profession.

“Since completing the Diploma, I already have work lined up for the rest of the year. At the moment I am preparing a joint exhibition with a fellow ex-student in the Laundromat Art Project Space. I also tutor two afternoon art classes for Selwyn Ridge Primary School. In addition, I have been offered another exhibition space with the NZ Blood Service who lease their rooms  so people can enjoy different art throughout the year, instead of having a permanent collection. Completing this qualification has opened up doors to a whole new world for me!"

The twenty-nine year old mother of two can’t believe after all these years she is finally following her dream. Yana is thrilled with the skills and new perspectives she gained studying the  Diploma  in Art and believes the programme has been an excellent pathway to prepare her to one day study at masters level.

“Traditionally art has always been taught from the classical perspective. I am thrilled that this programme was taught more from the conceptual approach where students are encouraged  to explore their creativity alongside learning the foundation skills. We were encouraged not to just copy or imitate existing work but to branch out in to new realms.”

Written On: Thursday, 1 April 2010