University Centre welcomes artist in residence

Chloe Stead is the University Centre’s new artist in residence. She graduated from the University Centre last year with a BA (Hons) in Art Enterprise. We caught up with her to find out more.

Tell us about your role

I am a sculptor and installation artist, and for the next few months I will be conducting research and producing artwork within the University Centre.

How will this role benefit you?

Taking part in the residency will provide me with the space I need to produce artwork during the earliest stages of my career allowing me to work towards exhibiting in my first show following graduation.

What did you get out of your course?

While studying, I developed an interest in feminist art practices, and using found objects as the material in my work. While these elements still remain fundamental to my practice today, I am also engaging in new research into political ecology and posthumanism, and I am developing new work exploring agency, otherness and the impacts of anthropocentrism.

What are you working on at the moment?

The current project I am working on titled The Anthropocene serves is a preface to this exploration; by using natural and man-made matter, the work explores the human impact on the environment.

How did your course help you become a practising artist?

Studying BA (Hons) Art Enterprise supported me in many ways to become a practising artist. The course facilitated a lot of artistic engagement external to the university. With lecturer support and expertise behind me, the curriculum challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone.

Through this process, I felt assured of my capabilities to pursue an artistic career. I found the modules flexible, which gave me autonomy and allowed me to produce the work that I wanted to freely and with support.

What is your advice to anyone who wants to become an artist?

My advice to any aspiring artist would be to say yes to every opportunity (within reason). Promise to do things that you believe are beyond your capabilities because you will find a way. And if you are thinking about doing something soon, you should probably just do it now.

Photo credit: Claire McLean