Thousands of DMU students graduated in July after years of hard work. We reported some of their stories in our Class of 2015 series...
After giving up on education the first time around following a bad experience, Diana Strandin seized the opportunity when De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) gave her a second chance to study a subject she loved.
Diana, who will be graduating with a first in Fine Art BA (Hons) and is starting a master’s at DMU in September, said: “As a mature student I felt that an important part of planning my future is that I would like to have a career in something I enjoy.”
She has lived in England for ten years, but was born and grew up in Sweden, where she studied IT and economics: “That’s what my parents wanted, but I did not enjoy it. I didn’t end up with very good grades and dropped out. This time I chose what I wanted to do and have been doing very well. My parents are now very proud and happy for me. Thanks to DMU, I have really enjoyed studying again.”
During her time here she has had the chance to interview art professionals, listened to talks from DMU alumni and visited Frieze London, a leading contemporary art fair. She also joined De Montfort Student Union’s Fine Art Society, taking part in a number of exhibitions and workshops, the most recent at LCB Depot, a creative hub in Leicester’s cultural quarter.
But she says one of the highlights of her time here was a five-day study visit to New York through #DMUglobal, the ground-breaking DMU programme which aims to offer the majority of students an international experience. She visited world-famous museums and inspiring art galleries, and there was also the opportunity to visit the Empire State Building and take the Staten Island Ferry to see the Statue of Liberty.
“The best parts of the trip for me were the Museum of Modern Art, where I got to see work that I had researched such as Eva Hesse’s sculptures, and all the little independent galleries. There was one called Art in General, which exhibits work by new upcoming artists – maybe one day that will include me!”
Diana has appreciated sharing a studio with other students, especially the group critiques and tutorials, adding: “You have a lot of room to experiment and express yourself and be as crazy as you like. Thanks to all the workshops you can try different methods, materials and combinations you never tried before. I was told once to draw with strawberries and coffee. The outcome was actually really interesting, so don't be scared to experiment – it will broaden your ideas.”
She also praised the photo studio in DMU’s Portland Building: “You can just book yourself in and have professional photographs taken of your work which is helpful for portfolios, blogs or, in my case, the Saatchi online page.”
Diana took a DMU foundation course, which included a tutor-led trip to Berlin, to prepare for her degree studies and is planning to complete her master’s on a part-time basis over the next two years. This summer she secured studio space at Two Queens, in Leicester’s Cultural Quarter, which will lead to an exhibition at the end of August. In the future she intends to set up her own website and would like to work as an artist while doing some curating as well.
“There are more options in the art world than I realised from the beginning. I have also met new friends that share my passion. As a bonus I am amazed at how much my English has improved during this degree. Doing presentations in front of people has made me more confident in general. I feel that I have become a lot braver in my art practice as well.”
Posted on Tuesday 14 July 2015