Arts Thread

Above: Rising Stars 2022 shortlisted designers 1. Jihyun Song/ 2. Lara Rebecca Hoad/ 3. Beatrice Galletley/ 4. Seongeun Kim/ 5. April Hay/ 6. Annabelle Laurie Macleod

Twenty emerging makers from UK schools have been shortlisted for the Rising Stars 2022 competition.

Chosen by a jury of industry professionals including Dan Goode (Making Goode), Dr Outi Remes (New Ashgate Gallery) and Sharon Ting (University for the Creative Arts, Textiles), the shortlisted creatives will have their work exhibited at New Ashgate Gallery in March and April 2022.

On 11 March, one of the shortlisted creatives will be awarded with a £1,000 prize to go towards their professional development, and will also receive the opportunity to exhibit their work in a solo show at New Ashgate Gallery in 2023.

The 21 shortlisted makers include ARTSTHREAD members Jihyun Song, Annabelle Laurie Macleod, Beatrice Galletley, Lara Rebecca Hoad , April Hay , Annabelle Laurie Macleod, Kunning Ding, and Seongeun Kim.

Jihyun Song (Royal College of Art) will show their raw clay vessel collection Ephemerality: 'the rich moisture-filled clay is fluid, changeable and transient. Therefore it is attractive like rich and beautiful flowers and fruits that then fade and die over time. The ephemerality of the clay explores its thought of hollow space interacting with other living things.'

Seongeun Kim (University for the Creative Arts Farnham) will show pieces from her cube box chain series which sees the designer work with oxidised and sterling silver to create abstract, geometric jewellery. Lara Rebecca Hoad (Cardiff School of Art and Design) will exhibit her sustainable handmade paper sculptural forms. Using sustainable Abaca fibre and waste paper collected from offcuts of artwork to create lichen and woodland-inspired sculpture.

Beatrice Galletley (Royal College of Art) will show her experimental ceramic collection Devils Advocate, which plays with dimension, form and scale, while Annabelle Laurie Macleod (University of Brighton) will show work using digital and workshop processes with composite materials and recycled plastics to explore how we interact and create experience through the presence of design.



April Hay (Grays School of Art) is presenting Mineralogic Phenomena textiles which are inspired by visual research into the minerals kept at the National Museum of Scotland, and Kunning Ding (Edinburgh College of Art) will display their jewellery which explores different forms of wood.

More makers include Balanced Earth, Maddy Barnett, Peter Black, Michelle Chung, Catherine Dunstan, Lilly Eris, Claudette Forbes, Cathy Green,  Zeba Imam, Pratibha Mistry, Ji-Hyun Song, Sarah Sullivan, Dr Hannah White and Jane Wilson.



Rising Stars 2022 is organised by New Ashgate Gallery in partnership with the University for the Creative Arts and Dan Goode of Making Goode. It is supported by Billmeir Charitable Trust.

The Rising Stars 2022 exhibition runs 12 March - 23 April. Visit the New Ashgate Gallery website for more information. and view the online catalogue.