For the past ten years I have worked with the Graphic Design and Illustration programme and this will be the last time I will be involved with the degree projects in my role as a teacher and supervisor. It is always a great experience and I admire our brave, wise and hard-working students.

The students have ten weeks to complete their degree projects. Ten weeks of reading, dreaming, thinking, investigating, trying, creating, crying, laughing, cursing, toiling, despairing, discussing, stressing, not too much sleeping, pondering, experimenting, worrying, fighting, struggling, prodding, scrimping, philosophising and writing…

In the meantime, the prospect of showing their work at the exhibition is one of the objectives on their mind. To meet an audience, to get a response, to initiate a conversation, to influence people, to be seen. Another objective is of course to demonstrate that they have completed their education and that they have what it takes to work with graphic design and illustration in their own way. And this is only the beginning.

Interestingly enough, this year’s degree projects, on the whole, reflect the breadth of the programme quite well. The exhibition showcases both graphic design and illustrations of different kinds and levels of cross-pollination: typography, newspaper design, visual narratives and picture book storytelling. Different techniques too: animation, apps for tablets, intaglio, screen printing and hybrids.

And everything has a story.
We invite you to take part in it!

Ann Forslind, Senior Lecturer of Illustration