INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE HIGHER LEVEL VISUAL ART

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The International Baccalaureate Higher Level Visual Art documentation is not everything I did, and other parts of my work can be found elsewhere on the website. This was the most important part of my development as an artist and creative person because I finally agreed that it had the same value or academic merit as every other subject I was destined to excel in. Without the decision to take this class at the time I did - I would have suffered - and I would not be where I am today.

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THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS LONDON

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Whilst the documentation on this website shows work from The University of the Arts London at Wimbledon College of Arts, Camberwell College of the Arts, and the London College of Fashion, I also studied at Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Art & Design, and the London College of Communication.

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I'm adding this extra information as part of a larger elaboration I'd like to make on the nature of my studies. On one hand it may seem like I didn't know what I wanted to do, or that I was simply wasting my time, but in reality I had the privilege, drive, commitment, and strange conviction to challenge myself in ways that meant I may have stretched myself to the limit at times, but then I'd bounce back feeling limitless.

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It's a challenging and exhausting state of being, but it's the only way I found myself being able to navigate the life I found myself in, and then seeing what could be done with it.

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I'm obviously not done, but I have felt the need to slow down, especially at a time when everything became so raw and delicate that the only worthwhile intellectual pursuit seemed to be a flawed version of self-care and survival.

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THE ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

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IB HL Visual Art and UAL were both my preparation within intense academia to prepare for my life as an artist. That was the aim. I was striking a balance between art and functionality, and sustainability, and once again applying to the most prestigious school I could find in order to justify my choice and desire to be in the arts, and learn from the best. It was a more practical compromise to just doing painting, film, or theatre, which of course is what I eventually ended up doing anyway. I was incredibly convinced that I was definitely going to become an architect so I devoted all my energy into ensuring I would get accepted to this school, and I was repeatedly told it would be highly unlikely they'd offer me a place since it's mainly for postgrads, and professionals with experience - but there I was - in my final year of IB - around 17 years old - standing in front of a panel of experts from The Royal Institute of British Architects, showing them my portfolio of work and waxing lyrical about why I'd be such a passionate student of architecture all the while thinking at any moment they may just say stop - thank you - that's enough. We don't accept children here.

 

They didn't do that. Instead, shockingly, they offered me a place and for a while I studied Sustainable Architectural Design and considered continuing for the entire five years, until my first love, performing arts, beckoned and I decided I wanted to study the human condition and live life, and go down a path that led to film  - like I had always wanted since I was a kid - and so I decided to discontinue my studies in architecture after qualifying for AA Intermediate RIBA/ARB Part 1. I can design sustainable spaces including logistics and also supervise on a few more technical aspects. I understand the foundations of architectural design and can assist architects. The AA School is incredibly experimental, which perhaps foreshadowed the path I was going to take in the performing arts. 

Please refer back to my AA School Statement for further elaboration on this point. The truth is and remains in all philosophical and practical senses of the word that I am an architect, forever searching for and creating various versions of what we all seek: a place called home.