Students’ creativity flourishes at Graduate Show

Hundreds of visually arresting creations from the disciplines of Art, Design, Architecture and Landscape Architecture will be on show from Saturday 19 August to Friday 25 August.

The week-long exhibition offers a display of more than 300 postgraduate students’ portfolios, showcasing their fresh ideas and artistic expression.

Stand-out creations

Among the eye-catching installations are a collection of enigmatic clay sculptures, a range of chairs crafted from materials found in skips and a vibrant intricately woven wool wall hanging.

The Graduate Show is taking place across two venues – the North East Studios in Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) Main Building on Lauriston Place and Evolution House.

The event is part of the acclaimed Edinburgh Art Festival, which attracts audiences from around the world.

Entry is free and booking is encouraged.

The extraordinary designs on show draw on a range of influences and themes including sustainable design, the digital world, and human emotion and connection. 

Spectrum of skills

The work reflects the spectrum of artistic and technical skills training on offer at ECA, including emerging disciplines such as sustainable design, digital art and immersive experiences. 

Artistic collaboration is a key part of postgraduate training for students, with examples of group portfolios also on display.

The Graduate Show website will also share the students’ artworks and portfolios, with more than 6000 works on the online hub available for a global audience.

Edinburgh College of Art's August Show is a wonderful celebration of our postgraduate communities' work. We are proud to open the doors to ECA during Edinburgh's festival season to showcase our students' work in this must-see show. Their work demonstrates fresh perspectives and the power of creative disciplines in our changing world.

Professor Juan Cruz, ECA Principal

The eye-popping displays include magical clay sculptures by Renée Bus, titled The timeless play and dance amongst the green, the root and the soil, Chris Mei’s inspiring sustainable chair designs from recycled wood and Xinye Song’s wool sculpture in a kaleidoscope of colour. 

Other dynamic works include:

• Sirapope Rastapana’s Advanced Sustainable Design project which outlines plans for developing areas of northern Edinburgh. The project features solutions for creating cohesive community spaces with an emphasis on sustainable transport. 
• Xiaoyang Chen’s Design Informatics project, Fashion Diffusion, is a virtual exhibition featuring pictures of fashion concepts generated by AI. The creator’s portfolio explores the idea of using AI to advance new fashion concepts and to encourage more people to participate in fashion culture.
• From Film Directing, Sophie van Bree’s documentary Luna in Wonderland is about a 24-year-old woman who lives with severe mental illness and trauma. The film reveals the protagonist’s inner battles as she navigates her inner and outer world.
• Also from Film Directing, Polya Moshenska’s work spotlights the friendship of three women from Ukraine and their struggles of studying abroad in Scotland as a war takes place in their home country. The film explores solidarity through experience, feelings, mutual understanding and support.
• Leanne Menezes Graphic Design portfolio is inspired by parent-child relationships. An interactive shelf designed with Indian and Middle Eastern motifs encourages families to share cherished memories, cultural exchange, and emotional bonds.
• From Illustration Taichun Zheng’s project Ashes of Spring is a personal meditation on a family bereavement. The artist charts his family’s journey through grief with an illustrated puzzle which when complete presents a comforting and hopeful picture.
• Sara Martinez Zena’s portfolio from the Urban Strategies and Design program examines the public space of Athens in Greece. It proposes design concepts for an inclusive city that contributes to social cohesion, civic engagement, and overall well-being.

Exhibits from the School of Design will be showcased at Evolution House while those from the School of Art and Architecture & Landscape Architecture are on show at the North East Studios.

Related links

Graduate Show website 

Book tickets