Unam art and fashion graduates exhibition on next week

THE 2016 University of Namibia (Unam) visual arts graduates exhibition is just around the corner and will see students from the university showcase their final work at the National Art Gallery of Namibia (NAGN).

Opening on 10 November at 18h00 in the main gallery, the exhibition will proceed to the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre.

In this exhibition, the visual arts department at Unam will present work by its students in the subjects art for advertising, ceramics studies, creative expression, fashion studies and textiles studies.

Visual arts subjects are intended to benefit students through personal development with an academic foundation. This helps to develop creative and conceptual abilities while preparing graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment in the arts sector.

Creative expression is another term for visual art. It is about making art. In creative expression, students are introduced to a variety of drawing techniques and creative strategies whereas in textile studies, students learn about the fabric that is part of everyone’s life. Textiles are seen as an expression of culture that can be aesthetically appraised.

On the other hand, art for advertising is a course which deals with foundational aspects of visual advertising, concentrating on the ideas which drive advertising and basic practical elements of advertising in print media (magazines, brochures, posters, television) such as typography (use of alphabet forms), pictures and text and how they are organised in advertising layout (composition of advertisements and other printed media).

The fashion course is structured to equip students with necessary skills to start up their own business or follow other careers within the fashion and the creative sector. In addition, ceramics studies students are firstly introduced to a variety of ways to work with clay to produce both practical and aesthetic expressions.

This eclectic range of subjects makes for a vibrant and diverse exhibition that inhabits the foyer and main gallery at the NAGN as well as the exhibition space at the Franco-Namibian Cultural Centre.