Category: Alumni

Design graduate wins entrepreneurship award

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Selin Yigitbasi, a 2017 graduate of our MA in Design & Innovation, won the The Family Business Network (FBN) Next Generation Lombard Odier Award at the FBN 29th Global Summit in Venice on 12th October. The award recognises outstanding intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial projects initiated by the next generation of family business owners.

26 year-old Selin is the founder of Goodsted, “a platform for socially purposeful individuals and organisations that would like to volunteer their skills or donate products and spaces to non-profit social projects”, in addition to being a fourth generation member of Yasar Holding A.S.

More information about the competition and how the winners were chosen can be found in the official press release on the Lombard Odier website.

 

Goldsmiths Graduate Design Scheme: Dorota Bojanowska turns women’s stories into unique printed garments

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The Graduate Design Scheme is an opportunity for Goldsmiths Design graduates to return on campus and work on their own projects: for a fee, they can use a studio space, the workshops, and book machinery. This year, the Design department awarded two bursary places on the scheme to 2018 graduates. One of the winners is Dorota Bojanowska:

What was the idea and process behind your graduation project?

“Girl Girl Girl” is an ongoing design project that has been created to present the beauty of individualism and values that cannot be found within the materialism of the digital culture. The process involves receiving direct responses from women with different stories and experiences (presented in a form of a letter) and then transforming them into a symbolic print. The woman decides which story to share. Each of the letters is handwritten and with unique personal language. The boiler suit that becomes the final form is an un-gendered, multi-use mono garment for everyday wear, representing one of a kind empowerment and beauty.

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The project opens up another possibility for women to articulate their opinions and views. It becomes a discussion starter for other viewers when presented in public. What is their reaction? What’s their opinion? How is this message being communicated to the world?

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MA alumna Wendy Lau talks about art residency project in Japan

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Alumna Wendy Lau (MA Design: Critical Practice 2017) recently completed a collaborative residency project in Japan, working to create a kinetic art installation with participation from the local community. The outcome was exhibited at Matsudo City Festival; find out more about the work from Wendy’s website.

Wendy shared with us a few reflections on her work in Japan and the current direction of her career:

“I participated in the creative programme PARADISE AIR in Japan with a financial grant from the Hong Kong Government. I was staying in the town Matsudo, only 30 minutes away from the vibrant and hectic Tokyo. I lived there for a month making art creations for the programme. I was impressed by the organisers’ passion and commitment to building a more vivid and cultural neighbourhood in the Matusdo City through art experience. One thing I have to mention – the accommodation and studio space I was offered was a former love hotel! The team started the programme about 5 years ago with support from the local government, and they revitalised the place into an art hub hosting international artists for residency programmes, as well as providing studios for local creatives. The concept came from an ancient tradition in that area that people paid for staying overnight by leaving a piece of art, not money. I found it really interesting and I was glad that they found a smart way to continue the custom in modern society.Read More »

Goldsmiths Graduate Design Scheme: Ash Baigent brings a new gender equality platform to the skate park

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The Graduate Design Scheme is an opportunity for Goldsmiths Design graduates to return on campus and work on their own projects:  for a fee, they can use a studio space, the workshops, and book machinery. This year, the Design department awarded two bursary places on the scheme to 2018 graduates; one of the winners is Ash Baigent, who will use her time in the workshops to continue her work designing and making unique skateboards.

Ash Baigent, photo by Aoife Baigent

Ash has been skateboarding since she was ten, and is now part of an all girl skate crew called Nefarious, who she met three years ago. There are few skateboarding women in the media, and even fewer (if any) are manufacturing their own skateboard decks. In fact, as Ash explains, skaters in England usually use decks imported from China or the US, and the designs can often be offensive or degrading towards women. The Goldsmiths graduate is keen to work on both the gender equality and the sustainability aspect of her favourite activity: she wants to bring more women to skateboarding and to encourage them to design their own decks. She’s also interested in making the decks themselves cheaper and more environmentally friendly, by experimenting with local, British wood instead of the usual American maple.

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