first artists of the week for 2024!

Mrs Nanvazadeh and the UGS  Art, Design & Photography department are delighted to announce their first Artists of the Week for the new term: Year 10 GCSE Fine Art students Oliver and Eliza, whose amazing work is showcased in the lead montage, and in the individual images below.

Mrs Nanvazadeh explains the course requirements and the inspiration behind Oliver and Eliza's work:

GCSE Assessment Objective 1 is about developing ideas from a starting point to a final piece. This is done through mind-mapping, sketches and studies related to the work of other artists, designers and craftspeople. 

Students need to analyse and understand these contextual sources and to develop their ideas in a personal way. It isn’t about just stating facts that they have found out: they must relate what they have found out to their own ideas and experience. 

As part of their work on Component 1: Close-up, Year 10 have been looking at the work of Angela Faustina, whose sticky-sweet oil paintings transform glistening fruit into its own unique world. Capturing juicy, perfectly ripe pulp in each brushstroke, her artwork focuses on the beauty and vibrancy of life.

The magnified imagery can echo other natural forms and textures, attesting to the interconnection of organic life. Although it’s presented in an original way, the common subject matter represents a shared experience that spans borders, religion, and culture.

Faustina’s contemporary paintings are bright, lively, intimate, and bold as hell. Walking the line between realism and idealism, these are not your traditional still life paintings.  

Due to her fresh take on the genre and the universal appeal of her subject matter, Faustina’s artwork has been internationally collected and exhibited for 16 years. In 2019 alone, her vibrant oil paintings were shown in Australia, China, Singapore, the UK, and the Eastern USA.

Faustina’s mouth-watering murals in Southeastern US cities like Atlanta and St. Pete are tagged in thousands of social media posts every year. She has also worked with brands like Atlanta United and Heineken and she is represented by Signet Contemporary Art in London, England, UK and The Loft in Marietta, GA.  

Faustina grew up in South Florida but started calling the Atlanta area home in 2015. She graduated summa cum laude with concentrations in Studio Art and History from New College of Florida in Sarasota, FL, while completing additional coursework at Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota and Parsons: The New School for Design in New York, NY. Her Instagram is @angelafaustina 

Really well done Oliver and Eliza, you are an inspiration; with thanks to the students and the Department for sharing their fabulous work.

And for even more up-to-date information on our talented students, follow the department on: 

Instagram: @urmston_grammar_art 

X: @UGS_Art 

Pinterest: @urmstongrammar_art