Students showcase Tottenham’s rising artistic talent

A-Level Art students from the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham (LAET) have been given the chance to publicly showcase their work to celebrate the end of their two-year course.

The state-funded Sixth Form is delivered with the financial support of the Club in partnership with Highgate School, who provide educational support, bringing expert teaching from top independent schools to its students.

Using an academically selective recruitment model, the LAET prioritises local students most likely to benefit from an academically-rigorous curriculum and those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

Working to a site-specific brief, the A-Level Art students collaborated with their peers from Highgate on an ambitious show at the Candid Arts Centre in Islington.

LAET students showcased a diversity of media and genuine innovation – from sustainable fashion, film, immersive installations, sculpture, painting, website and jewellery design – the exhibition was a powerful reflection of the emerging creative talent that exists in Haringey.

Keziah Malungu, who showcased her own version of a self-portrait, said: “My ultimate goal was to make the viewer understand that the ‘self’ of somebody does not exist in their physical features – instead the self exists in a place that is deeper than skin. My work is supposed to act as a guide to that place which can only be found if we allow ourselves to understand each other properly.

“Exhibiting my work has shown me how to venture into the unknown. It has taught me not only how to observe but how to live, to take one brushstroke at a time and create a masterpiece.”

Darnell Carol-Walters, who produced two unique installations using materials such as ceramics and acrylic, added: “The main idea for my work was to communicate the theme of ‘Variations & Similarities’ through the neglected, mundane architectural spaces that surround us.

“Using the subtle variations between each of the corners of communal hallways on every level of my block of flats, the installation reflects the subtle variation of shape through repetition of process, time restraints and human error.

“Realising such an ambitious site-specific project for public display was nerve-wracking, until I noticed how captivated the audience was by my installation.”

The Club has also recognised the burgeoning artistic talent that exists within the Borough and has a space within the stadium dedicated to local artists.

Located on the Level 1 concourse of the West Stand, the Gallery showcases four artworks inspired by the brief ‘Passionate About Tottenham’ – from the natural beauty of the green spaces of the Lee Valley to the area’s multi-cultural population, vibrant shops, restaurants and market stalls on the High Road, each piece of art is inspired by different aspects of Tottenham.

For further information and news on all the Club is delivering on its doorstep, visit our Passionate About Tottenham web page.