Student creates a winner
NOT convinced her handson skills would be used to their full potential in an occupational therapy career, Hope Duncan started a graduate diploma in visual arts (textiles) this year.
And already, the Otago Polytechnic student has won a national art award — the Rembrandt Fashion and Textile section of the 2018 ECC Student Craft and Design Awards.
Miss Duncan said she was ‘‘thrilled’’ with the award.
‘‘Looking around at the top entries on the night, there were so many fantastic, labourintensive and well thoughtthrough works.
‘‘To be recognised among them was an honour; to win my section was a privilege.’’
She said for a student learning the ropes, there was ‘‘huge validation’’ in receiving an award like this.
‘‘Often our works are not viewed outside the classroom, so to have those involved with the industry giving positive feedback . . . it lets you know that all the hours learning and making were well spent.’’
Her entry, entitled A Beautiful Deception, was a ‘‘textu ral response and conversation’’ about the hidden damages of the use of synthetics in the textiles industry.
In 2017, Miss Duncan graduated with a bachelor of occupational therapy from Otago Polytechnic’s School of Occupational Therapy.
‘‘However, on graduation, I decided I wanted to spend some handson time creating.
‘‘I felt my degree had satisfied my desire for academic challenge, but I still had a deep desire to create.
‘‘So I enrolled for the graduate diploma in visual arts.’’
Miss Duncan received $1000 in prize money as part of the award.
She planned to put some of it towards further learning.
‘‘There is so much to learn and explore within weaving and wool, and I know I am only just beginning.’’