A fashion design student from Coventry has been named as the latest winner of a prestigious Warwickshire art prize – and will now head to London to study at one of the country’s top art and design schools.
Sharandeep Kaur, 19, who lives in Cheylesmore, has won the title of Most Outstanding Student for the Warwickshire College of Art, which is based at Royal Leamington Spa College.
A total of 35 students on the UAL Foundation Diploma in Art and Design course were in the running for the award, with Sharandeep’s final project bringing her out on top.
The prize includes a £850 bursary award which will be given over a three-year period to support Sharandeep in her studies at the renowned Kingston School of Art, at Kingston University, where she has been accepted to study Fashion Design.
The award and bursary scheme is supported by The Arts Society Royal Leamington Spa and decided by tutors at Royal Leamington Spa College, which is part of college group WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group).
Sharandeep, who studied A-Levels at Bluecoat Sixth Form before coming to the college, is the 22nd recipient of the award.
She said: “I was so surprised to find out I’d won the award. I was speechless. I’m really grateful for the award and the bursary, which will really help with art supplies during my studies at Kingston School of Art.
“My mum’s side of the family is quite creative and that’s where I get it from I think. I’ve always loved making little cards and paintings and that slowly developed into textiles and fashion.
“It all started really with learning textiles in secondary school and my year nine textiles teacher is the reason why I want to go into fashion.
“My final year project is made from my own first-hand images of my mum, her sisters and cousins in India. It looks at growing up in India, the beauty standards and the gender roles that women are obliged to follow.
“I’m really happy to have got into Kingston and completing the foundation degree at Leamington has definitely helped me to get there.”
The Arts Society has 554 members and the prize at Royal Leamington Spa College is the longest standing award presented by the Arts Society Leamington.
Shaun Pitt, chairman of The Arts Society Royal Leamington Spa, said: “I think that Sharandeep’s work is wonderful. Our mission is art in one form or another and we are committed to supporting students on the course here at Royal Leamington Spa College
“Supporting young people is a fundamental value of our organisation. The partnership with the college has been going for more than 20 years and we continue to support it because we are keen to support local arts, and help young people to continue their careers.”
Adele Christie, course leader, added: “Sharandeep has worked so hard. She has developed over this year in confidence and worked with quite challenging subject matters.
“Her work is brave. She looked at gender for her first project and this has progressed to her final project which looks at gender issues in Indian culture.
“It’s very intellectual work, it breaks boundaries and it is backed by strong theoretical research with a great depth of enquiry.”
To find out more about art and design courses at Royal Leamington Spa College visit www.wcg.ac.uk/study