Visit the Examination in Professional Practice: Architecture - RIBA 3 page on the London Metropolitan University website for more details!
Gwen, you’ve studied art in both New York and in London – how did it all start?
In 2006 I became a real estate agent in NYC because I was looking for another apartment and that was the best way to find a great place at that time. When I found the ideal apartment a year later there were a lot of walls and we didn’t have much art to cover them. I found out that to buy art was an expensive business, so I decided to make my own.
I attended the Art Student League on 57th street and started making abstract paintings with mixed media/collages. This is the place where some of my favorite artists studied such as: Louise Bourgeois, Philip Guston, Georgia O’Keeffe, Jackson Pollock and Cy Twombly. 48 paintings and three years later I moved to London where I completed a mixed media course and a Higher National Credit. After this year I continued on to a BA and then MA in Fine Art at The Cass at London Met, where I was taught and
coached by Patrick Brill, Rosemary McGoldrick, Ben Cain, Mike Stubbs and Andrea Medjesi Jones. They are amazing tutors and very generous with their time.
Tell us a bit about your current artwork – what made you choose to use silver on your paintings?
My parents came to the Netherlands as political refugees in the 1950s. I was born there and have lived in Amsterdam and other places for 28 years, in the Caribbean for eight years, in New York for 12 years, and now in London for six years. All this made me ‘homeless’ in a way. My paintings are a reflection of that; the roster of silver leaf is a clearing on which the painting happens.
Do you think that it’s important to have qualifications in order to be an artist?
I definitely think it’s important, especially in London. I have talked to gallerists and they said that they don’t even consider your art if you don’t have qualifications.
"My passion for design began at a young age and carried into high school where I began learning how to sculpt and manipulate materials such as wood and metal. Although I didn’t know it at the time, this craft would lay the foundation for the rest of my career.
"After graduating high school, I accepted a scholarship to the Art Institute of Colorado in Denver Colorado to pursue a degree in Industrial Design. Over the next few years, my skill set developed tremendously and I quickly began showing and selling my work in local galleries as well as entering design competitions where I was able to find early success.
"In 2007, shortly after earning my BA, I was offered a design position at a Point of Purchase company in San Diego, California. During that time I lead the charge in designing custom retail displays with clients around the globe, communicating with overseas manufactures on a daily basis to manage the production of my designs.
"After a few years of working professionally, I realised my dream was evolving. I quickly discovered that in order to take my career to the next level, I would need a new challenge to pursue. This decision led me to London Metropolitan University.
"As an international student, London Met has provided me an opportunity to grow not only academically, but also professionally. Surrounding myself with European culture has diversified the scope through which I view design and has broadened my view of the world around us.
"Since enrolling my career as an independent designer has already began to look more promising. I've had a product published in Faces, a Swiss lifestyle and trend journal, as well as anticipating multiple lines of outdoor furniture that will hit the market in the next year.
"The opportunity I've experienced at London Met has given me the chance to grow as a designer and will give me a great advantage for years to come."
