THE GLASGOW School of Art (GSA) will soon host their first student exhibition since the pandemic. 

Opening on Wednesday, June 1 and held over three weeks, GSA's Degree Show 2022 marks the first physical showcase of student works in two years. 

Works for art from over 600 students explore and address some of the world’s most important issues, such as climate emergency and sustainability, gender, race, representation, health and wellbeing, social injustice, and post-pandemic recovery.

GSA student Fleur Connor decided to portray the challenges faced by students during lockdown with her painting Untitled Diptych 1.

Fleur said: “My painting was produced by adapting during lockdown to what little space I had and the few physical resources I had to create. That’s why it follows a grid pattern, because the painting is made from smaller works from my sketchbooks.

"It’s really exciting for me to have the diptych, which was borne out of frustration, to now be a symbol of something positive.

"It’s really nice to be featured alongside the work of my fellow students and for that work to be celebrated.” 

Glasgow Times: Photo by Kirsty AndersonPhoto by Kirsty Anderson

For those who cannot attend the exhibition at the Garnethill campus, a Digital Graduate Showcase will allow people to engage with students’ work and participate in digital events over the course of the show. 

Graduates can continue to add to their digital portfolios on the showcase for up to 12 months and show how their work has developed in a professional capacity. 

Professor Penny Macbeth, GSA Director, said: “Every year our students create the most inspiring and dynamic portfolios of work and we are very excited to be welcoming the city into the GSA for the first time in two years to experience in person the incredible creative talent that has been part of Glasgow’s creative community over the past few years.” 

“Degree show is always a celebration of creativity and hard work and the physical Degree Show, which sits alongside our digital Graduate Showcase, illustrates brilliantly the individuality and imagination that GSA students are renowned for worldwide to a local and global audience.” 

“Students everywhere have had a challenging and unique experience of studying over the past few years but particularly for our students this has prompted them to adapt traditional approaches, to think about their practice and consider how to mediate and push the boundaries between the physical and digital to create inspiring and powerful work.

“This can often be a daunting and challenging process but can open up new and exciting ways in which to collaborate, organise and create. 

"This Degree Show is a great example of what can be achieved by creative people and what they can offer the world as they move into the next stage of their creative journey as professional artists, designers and architects."

As part of the degree show, GSA’s Master of Fine Art Degree Show, sponsored by citizenM opens on May 31 at Florence Street.

Robin Chadha, Chief Marketing Officer, citizenM said: "citizenM is delighted to be supporting the MFA Degree Show at The Glasgow School of Art for the eighth year.” 

"Art is one of our core pillars. We believe that art should be accessible to all - our hotels are full of original and specially commissioned pieces for visitors to enjoy.

"The GSA is recognised worldwide as a leading creative school for the arts, and as firm believers in helping new talent, we are thrilled to once again support the GSA MFA students graduating this year."

For more information on degree show opening times and buildings, visit this link