Graduation shows 2023
Fascinations, Ecology and Identity
The 2023 graduation shows of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague (KABK) , The Royal Academy of Antwerp and the UAL/ Central Saint Martins in London showed a wide range of diverse talent. Disciplines are becoming more fluid and less constrained within departments. One prevalent theme was personal fascinations and worlds as students delved into their own unique experiences and perspectives. Through their work, they questioned norms and industries, freedom and future perspectives, offering insight into their daily lives, values and obsessions. What creates identity is all the things that you are and do added up, your heritage, context, hobbies, misfortunes, fascinations and thoughts.
Another significant focus was on the concepts of masculinity and femininity. The graduating students challenged societal norms and stereotypes surrounding gender. Their works questioned the traditional dichotomy and explored the fluidity and complexity of identity. They celebrated the power and beauty of individual expression, dismantling preconceived notions and paving the way for a more inclusive and accepting future.
Ecology and nostalgia emerged as prominent themes, reflecting the growing concern for the planet’s well-being. Memories of ecologies were mixed with future technologies and ancient craft. The works served as reminders of the fragile beauty of nature and an uncertain future.
Lastly, an exploration of colour and material use as storytelling tools. Colours, unique textures and next-generation materials convey narratives, perspectives, solutions and emotions. These projects demonstrated that using art as a means of communication, transcending words and engaging the senses creates a new aesthetic language.
You can download the PDF version here
UCL/ Central Saint Martins
Organisms
Sound
Ecology
Biodesign
Mathilde Wittock/ Soundwall
Soundwall is an installation that explores the influence of sound on organisms. Through engineered materials grown from carbon-hungry grass seeds, it creates soundproofing tiles with distinctive patterns that absorb mid to high sound frequencies, revealing the hidden realm of soundwaves and inspiring positive frequency applications for a conscious future.
MA Industrial Design
Milla Amundsen-Lack/ Drobe- Wardrobe Luggage
Longevity
Multifunctionality
Evolution
Drobe is a portable wardrobe compressed to the scale of a suitcase. The design is inspired by the evolution of suitcase designs over the past century, it incorporates expandable compartments and a linear rail system, a practical solution for nomadic individuals. The aluminium shell, wheels and rail construction are durable and designed to be long-lasting.
MA Fashion Artefact
Shiting Zhang/ Be With Me
Comforting
Childhood
Emotions
The design titled “BE WITH ME” delves into the use of toys as emotional companions and therapy tools for adults, addressing the impact of childhood neglect and its connection to adult anxiety. Through wearable and interactive structures, the design aims to reduce anxiety and provide companionship, exploring the relationship between objects and human emotions.
MA Biodesign
Maca Barrera/ Melwear
Microbes
UV radiation
Second skin
Melwear uses microbes to produce a natural derived sunscreen that shield human bodies from harmful UV radiation. UV radiation is one of the most prominent stressors our bodies are exposed to.
MA Material Futures
Scarlett Mercer/ Woven Water
Water
Crafts
Accessibility
Woven Water explores the potential of textile structures to capture atmospheric moisture, offering an alternative approach to irrigation. Water scarcity is quickly becoming a dominant worldwide issue. Woven Water is an exploration of textile structures designed to capture and collect atmospheric moisture. This innovative approach to irrigation makes water collection accessible to all, via traditional textile crafts.
Royal Academy of Antwerp
Fashion Masters
Marcel Sommer/ AFTER[MA]TH
Marcel Sommer’s collection, which he named “AFTER[MA]TH” was one of the show’s highlights. References to workwear and powerful geometric lines added boldness to the garments, while the pleating technique created texture and volume for the jackets, shirts, tops and outerwear pieces. An intricate gray bomber, featuring rectangular pockets and a rounded shoulder, was a true standout. you can see the catwalk presentation here
The concept of Carrément meaning straight out, squarely or bluntly, was translated into layered shapes in beautiful colours that played with proportion and angles. The relationship between 2 dimensional and 3D representations and the colour blocking created the layered minimal silhouettes. The colours and metallics softened the square shapes and created identity and definition. You can see the catwalk presentation here
Fashion Masters
Victoria Lebrun/ Carrément
The collection Chaotic Silence by Jiayue She explored shape and volume. Setting the volume free and containing it at the same time created tension. The sculptural forms combined choas and rational order, a sense of confussion and a juxtaposition between the body and the object. Jiayue wrote that she was exploring the quietness in chaos, looking for tension and sexuality in the unsexy. You can see the catwalk presentation here
Fashion Masters
Jiayue She/ Chaotic Silence
Mixing the language of gay fetish with American sportswear and the uniforms of superheroes, Juyoung Ahn delivered a provocative lineup of exaggerated sculptural jackets and coats, which hinted at the notion of toxic masculinity. Ahn’s vision seemed to epitomize some of the dilemmas masculinity has to face today, balancing power, identity and sexuality. You can see the catwalk presentation here
Fashion Masters
Juyoung Ahn/ The Spare Club
The collection Solidified Shape played with the volume of the garment and the body. The garments were building blocks of colour and shape, creating deformation, not following the lines of the model. The boxy shapes were almost container-like, squaring of the human form and creating a modular feeling where items of clothing can be swapped and interchanged. You can see the catwalk presentation here
Fashion Masters
Xuewen Chen/ Solidified Shape
Royal Academy of Arts, The Hague (KABK)
Bachelor Interior Architecture and Furniture Design
Luliia Khatsanova/ Co-creation With Water
This immersive architecture installation invites viewers to reconsider their relationship with water by showcasing its transformative power. Through the interplay of water, wood, and skin, the sculpture embodies the fluidity and fragility of life, reminding us of the profound impact even the simplest element can have on our perception and existence.
Water
Agency
Life
Master Artscience
Philipp Groubnov/ Pochva
Technology
Ecology
Extended reality
The Pochva installation embodies the essence of memory and longing, as it recreates a promised land through the living matter of soil from the artist’s ancestral village, evoking the vibrancy of life and the power of dreams encapsulated within the landscape.
Since the Russian invasion into Ukraine Phillip has not been able to return to Belarus. He used the soil’s metabolising electrical charge to create coded nature and animated vibrations.
Bachelor Photography
Magali Speicher/ Mute
“Mute” explores the detrimental impact of digital commodification on musicians in the modern era. Through three photographs and interviews with industry professionals, a future is explored where music has been devalued by consumerism and artists are trapped in short visual social media blurbs and struggle to find genuine creativity.
Consumerism
Music industry
Creativity
Bachelor Photography
Gilles STUV Potte/ Pogo Magistrale
Energy
Crowds
Connection
This photography installation captures the transformative power of crowds.Through filming and digitalization, the artist explores the energy and dynamics of musical events and protests, aiming to visually convey the intense emotions and sense of connection experienced when individuals lose themselves in the collective.
Bachelor Interior Architecture and Furniture Design
Dora Szilvasi-lehy/ Mutuality of Touch
Materiality
Sensory
Touch
Touch Tools with different characters and materiality. The warmth of wood, the skin-like bioplastic fabric, the cool and smooth surface of unfired clay leave different sensory memories in the hands. As Daniel Miller, anthropologist says what is unique about touch is its mutuality, when set against the other senses. While we can look at without being looked back at, we cannot touch without being touched in return.
You can download the PDF version here