Fine Arts Association to showcase talented graduates in visual arts, architecture, and design

A showcase organised by the Fine Arts Association will feature works from four visual arts, architecture and design graduates from Gibraltar at the Fine Arts Gallery this month.

The four selected graduates are Jacqima Rios, Hannah Fa, Julia Prudzienica and Tyrone Vera.

This event will showcase their skill to their sponsors, the education establishment, potential employers and the public.

Ms Rios has obtained her MA in Art Therapy/therapist at the University of Derby this year. She also has a BA – Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University and a Foundation Degree in Art and Design from Bath Spa University.

Her work for her MA is about early abandonment in childhood, and how that can manifest as detachment as a coping mechanism in adulthood.

“Art psychotherapy is a specialised form of psychotherapy that uses the creative process of art-making to help individuals express and process emotions, thoughts, and experiences that might be challenging to articulate verbally,” she said.

“This therapeutic approach combines principles from both psychotherapy and art, allowing clients to explore their inner worlds in a safe and supportive environment with the guidance of a trained art psychotherapist.”

Ms Fa has a Masters in Architecture from the Manchester School of Architecture and a BA (Hons) in Architecture from Oxford Brookes University.

“For true progress to be seen in our environment, one of the key focus points of an architect’s role should be to take responsibility to resolve environmental issues in our living world when designing and building,” she said.

Her thesis, the Seaweed Dilemma, looks at new ways in which to improve the environment to help combat one of the climate emergencies – loss of marine diversity – and explores ways of utilising an invasive marine species as a construction material.

She has proposed that using the invasive marine species Rugulopteryx okamurae as a construction material in the built environment can not only potentially improve the Rock’s ecosystems, but generate a new type of industry for Gibraltar benefiting not just marine life but also our community.

As part of this scheme, the proposal will include a research centre and laboratory, geared at investigating novel ways of utilising invasive species to benefit the community.

“The Seaweed Co-Lab will ensure investment into the community development of Rosia Bay, including public spaces such as changing rooms, a cafe, and stores for hire. All this has been considered whilst retaining and respecting Rosia Bay’s rich history and precious ecosystems,” she said.

Ms Prudzienica has a BA (Hons) in Architecture from Oxford Brookes University and a Foundation Diploma in Art, Design and Media Practice from the University of the Arts, Canterbury.

Her final year work focused on the theme of heritage: architecture that is sensitive to a site’s history, while also accommodating to the needs of the local community.
Her final design project is an adaptive re-use of a historical site in Archway, London. The aim was to design affordable co-housing for the local community – in her project the users are NHS staff at the adjacent hospital.

To counter the intense, clinical working environment, the housing programme encompasses communal and private gardens, yoga studios and a large public sensory garden for recharge purposes.

For her final degree dissertation and following the protests against the Eastside marina by the locals in Catalan Bay, she decided to explore the new proposals that are planned for the area.

However, as the Eastside design is not prepared yet in detail, the dissertation focuses on the other proposal: the Hilton Hotel. Through an architectural lens, she researches whether the new design complements the rich heritage of the area.

Overall, the paper highlights the opportunity for architects to showcase Gibraltar’s heritage through its architecture and maintain the identity of the Rock.
Mr Vera has a MA in Sculpture from Royal College of Art, London and a BA (Hons) 3D Design Crafts Arts University Plymouth.

His practice focuses on the physiology of play and touch in his sculptural work, challenging the traditional notion of ‘Do Not Touch’ in art, emphasising interaction and the importance of touch.

His research involves a material-led practice exploring academic and artistic landscapes like pedagogy, curation, philosophy, and contemporary art, integrating play as a key methodology.

The Touchsthetics series exhibited is inspired by urban geometry and aimed at creating a space for play within the exhibition setting. It consists of six sub-series that explore interaction through touch, smell, sight, and sound, with an accompanying interaction guide to demonstrate how viewers can engage with the sculptural objects.

Tyrone believes that his sculptural objects can serve as a physical tool kit for haptic learning, especially beneficial for students with learning differences, integrating education and sensory experience.

The Showcase will be held at The Fine Arts Gallery, from August 20 to 30.