Artist's BA pays off with scholarship

Rebecca Frances Lees with "found objects" for her art. Photo / Supplied

Winner of this year's prestigious David Fine scholarship, Rebecca Frances Lees, is enjoying developing a conceptual art practice at EIT's ideaschool.

"In the past, I've been far more hands-on with materials and making," she said.

The student was a self-taught artist before launching into tertiary study.

"I was painting and selling my work but felt I was stagnating. I realised I needed a challenge and studying at ideaschool has absolutely achieved that for me. The things I have made here I never dreamt I was capable of."

A second-year Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design student, Ms Lees likes to find metaphor through found objects. As an example of that, a travel-worn suitcase used in an installation may suggest movement, displacement or a transient notion.

The 34-year-old, who has lived in Auckland and Wellington and now calls Napier Hill home, considers herself to be transient and that includes her approach to her creative practice. So while she is currently working on conceptual art installations, that may not be the genre she adopts for the exhibition her scholarship affords next year at the Hawke's Bay Community Arts Centre.

"It may be entirely new work," she says. "Ideaschool has pushed my practice. Everything to me is almost unexpected and I like working that way."

Ms Lees launched into study with ideaschool's Certificate in Introduction to Visual Arts and Design, "almost to get a base-level education". Then, feeling she was "in the right place", she progressed to the degree.

"I would really like to explore curation alongside my art practice," she says of her future plans, although that doesn't rule out the possibility of studying for a master's degree.

Established seven years ago, the scholarship she has won honours the memory of David Fine, whose efforts - which included fundraising - helped support the Hawke's Bay Community Arts Centre. The scholarship is granted annually.

In addition to the opportunity to exhibit her work, the scholarship will give Ms Lees $2500 towards her final-year fees at EIT and that, she says, "will be a big help".