Award Winner Explores Conceptual Art

Rebecca Frances Lees with “found objects” for her art.

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Award Winner Explores Conceptual Art

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,” says Rebecca, who 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,” she says.

A second-year Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design student, Rebecca 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 that 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,” the 34-year-old says. “ideaschool has pushed my practice. Everything to me is almost unexpected and I like working that way.”

Rebecca 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.

Right now, however, she is focused on completing the year’s work while pursuing an internship opportunity at a public art gallery as part of her study requirements for next year.

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 awarded annually, alternating each year between a top student at ideaschool and Toimarangi, the Māori visual arts school in Hastings.

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

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