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From a film drawing on themes of domestic abuse to drawings inspired by silent movies of the 1920s and 1930s... The work of four up-and-coming young artists has gone on display at Jersey Arts Centre.
Held upstairs in the Berni Gallery, the 2023 Student Art Exhibition is free to view until Saturday 16 September.
The four artists featured are...
Jodie Bull's body of work features a repetitive colour scheme and various texture, tying to a theme of "disconnection in the world" with survival vs modern western lifestyle.
"In reflecting on this idea of survival in the modern western world, I began to think of the distinction of what some city folk need/want to survive (e.g. iPhone, Bottega Veneta bag, Wales Bonner, Adidas Sambas, and a tiny artisan coffee in hand), dissimilarly to hunting and fishing tools, firewood and animal skins to keep warm... When did survival in the privileged western world become comfort?" she said.
Stephanie Bexiga's has presented an audiovisual piece centred on domestic abuse and social issues.
"Growing up in Jersey, I felt like this is where I felt most safe and perhaps unaware of domestic abuse. It wasn't until I grew up that I came to know of some people's realities... I began my research into the topic and found out that 736 million women globally have suffered domestic abuse or violence from a loved one or stranger. That being one in four women that you may know has suffered or will suffer abuse," she explained.
"I hope that my performance will help spread awareness that not enough is done to protect or convict surrounding this subject," she added.
Brett Hunter's said his work, which explores mark-making in both paint and pencil to create heavily shadowed designs, is inspired by novels and silent films of the 1920s and 1930s.
Storytelling is also key to his work.
"The four pieces included in this exhibition are all part of one story: that story charts the journey of a lone knight through a dark, endless wasteland, following a man called the 'Outcast', whom he does not know, but is bound to, and his struggle to find the source of his purpose," he explained.
Steph Shales's collection focuses on "the chaos of human existence", with contrasting themes of editorial beauty mixed with horror.
"I have taken heavy inspiration from cinema throughout this project due to its ability to visually portray varying perspectives of reality," she said, adding that the work of Jersey resistance hero Claude Cahun was also an inspiration.
"My practice as a whole takes a multidisciplinary approach to image making... I frequently utilise the island's rich landscapes in my work and credit my playful and inquisitive process to a childhood exploring the island's natural beauty," she added.
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