Students’ work to be celebrated at fine art degree show
PREPARATIONS are underway for UHI Shetland’s latest fine art degree show, which will celebrate the work of graduating students.
Opening on Friday 5 June at 6pm at the Gremista campus in Lerwick, the exhibition marks the culmination of four years of study and creative development from students on the BA (Hons) fine art degree programme.
The exhibition features work across painting, printmaking and mixed media and offers visitors the opportunity to experience a diverse range of contemporary practices shaped by themes of identity, memory, place and everyday life.
The exhibition brings together the work of graduating artists Tayla Hanks, Estella Smith, Susan Linklater and Emma Eunson.
UHI Shetland said each artist presents a distinct body of work developed through personal research, experimentation and sustained studio practice.
“From intimate reflections on memory and domestic life to expressive responses to landscape and environment, the exhibition invites audiences to spend time with work that is thoughtful, immersive and deeply connected to lived experience,” the UHI said.
Fine art site leader Kristi Tait said: “Each year the degree show offers a real insight into the commitment, curiosity and individuality of our students, and this year’s exhibition is no exception.
“The work on show reflects four years of sustained creative development and demonstrates a thoughtful and ambitious range of approaches to contemporary art practice.
“We’re delighted to welcome the public into the exhibition and to celebrate the achievements of our graduating students alongside the wider Creative Industries community at UHI Shetland.”
Alongside the degree show, UHI Shetland will also showcase work from across its wider creative industries programmes, including masters art and social practice, NC art and design portfolio, senior phase fifth and sixth year art, woven textiles CPD, and the Eric Gray lifeskills and forward directions classes.
The exhibition also offers an opportunity for prospective students to learn more about studying art at UHI Shetland.
Applications are now open for students interested in beginning the NC art and design course or the BA (Hons) fine art degree in September 2026.
Staff and students will be available throughout the exhibition to discuss courses, creative pathways and studying.
The exhibition is free and open to the public from 5-19 June. Students will be present throughout the opening evening and during selected exhibition hours, offering visitors the chance to meet the artists and discuss their work and creative processes.
UHI Shetland provided the following information about the four artists:
Tayla Hanks’ practice explores identity through dreams, childhood experiences, relationships and memory.
Working with water-soluble oils, charcoal, pastels and mixed media, she creates symbolic and introspective works that move between the personal and universal.
Estella Smith’s paintings focus on domestic scenes and women’s work, drawing attention to moments of quiet concentration and care. Her work reflects on family connection, generational work ethic and the value held within everyday tasks.
Based in Levenwick, Susan Linklater works across painting and printmaking. Inspired by running along Shetland’s coastline, her expressive works respond to changing weather, movement, light and the shifting atmosphere of the sea and sky.
Emma Eunson’s work examines memory, personal histories and the significance of everyday objects. Combining analogue and digital processes, she explores how memories are formed, altered and revisited over time.
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