Sadie Groom, Level 3 Creative Practice: Art, Design and Communications student of Stamford College, part of Inspire Education Group, has been declared the winner of hue’s Fearless Creative Award 2023. Fellow students, Cerin Murthwaite-Bedding and Vinnie Homer, were awarded second and third place respectively.
Providing a platform for emerging talent to shine in the spotlight of the UK Creative Industry, Stamford-based creative agency, hue, encourages artists to contribute fresh, innovative perspectives to the world of art and design. Open to all full-time students across the United Kingdom, the competition invited entrants to explore the essence of fearlessness, to challenge conventional norms and to express their unique perspectives, in the medium and material of their choice.
Mark Buttress, Creative Director and Founder of hue, shared, "We truly appreciate the contributions from each participant, which have illuminated our journey in search of fearlessness within the realm of art and design. We're thrilled to provide a platform for emerging talents, and the competition has revealed many innovative ideas”. Impressing the judges, Stamford College students, Sadie Groom, Cerin Murthwaite-Bedding, Vinnie Homer, Olivia Bartram, Sienna Allsopp and Theo Donnelly’s creations were shortlisted, with the former coming out on top.
Recognised in third place, Vinnie, was inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s infamous words, “If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced”. Judges were impressed by Vinnie’s “refreshing use of real materials”, and described their work as having a “well-matched rebellious theme”.
Judges commended runner-up, Cerin’s, “Impressive artistic skills and intriguing interpretation”. Cerin themselves explained, “I was personally inspired by strong women and those within the LGBT+ community, depicting a lesbian couple who are in a type of 'us against the world' scenario. When the piece was awarded second place I was honestly a bit shocked, but am entirely grateful for it”.
Explaining the inspiration behind their work, winning artist, Sadie, shared, “For me, being fearless is about being brave and standing up against your demons. My artwork is a portrayal of the story of St. George and the dragon – the knight is facing a demon in the literal sense”. Judges explained, “The work has an elegant simplicity, with exceptional composition, and strong alignment to the brief”. Delighted, Sadie shared, “It felt great to be recognised and has really helped my confidence as a designer”.
Lecturer in Graphic Design at Stamford College, Pamela Mairs, was pleased with the outcome of the competition, “We couldn’t be prouder of our students. It's fantastic to see them fearlessly pushing the boundaries of graphic design, and even better to see their hard work recognised. Thank you to hue for this opportunity”.
Congratulations to all involved.
