Amanda Hughes - K College article.

Monday, 24 October 2011

Fine Art Graduate makes her mark at Port Lympne

Congratulations to Amanda Hughes, a recent graduate from the College’s BA Fine Art who has won a prestigious residency at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park. Amanda has created a stunning sculpture of one of the parks residents, Rukwa, a beautiful Black Rhino. The sculpture has been created utilising manipulated steel and natural material such as hazel, scavenged wood and flora sourced from the park itself.

Amanda created the piece on site at the park, welding the piece in the Rhino shed itself over a two month period. The piece is designed to highlight the plight of the Black Rhino and the work of the park. Rukwa, Amanda’s subject, is a female Rhino who has been part of the parks breeding programme and whose offspring have been reintroduced into the wild. Amanda spent time studying the Rhino’s and even met one of them whilst developing the sculpture.

Amanda has used unusual materials to creative some of the Rhino’s most notable features. The horn has been sculpted from an oak tree, blown down in the 1987 hurricane; the animals ears have been sculpted from rolled steel and the tail is made from chain which mimics the movement of the Rukwa’s tail. The frame is covered in hazel, an essential part of the Rhino’s diet in the park as it helps to prevent liver failure.

Amanda is represented by Pure Arts, an organisation that supports the work of promising artists. Amanda first became involved with the organisation through a visit they made to the College. Following a very successful end of year exhibition, where Amanda shows other work inspired by the animal kingdom Amanda was named as one of the organisations selected artists. Pure Arts are supporting Amanda’s professional development and are currently exploring a range of further exciting opportunities to promote her work. 

Amanda was joined at the unveiling of the sculpture by friends and family, including a number of students who studied on the BA Fine Art with her. We wish Amanda and her fellow graduates all the best in their future endeavours and are positive that this talented group of graduates will have many inspiring achievements ahead of them.

The Sculpture is now on semi- permanent display in the front of the Restaurant at Basecamp and the working drawings can be seen at Carnivore Territory until 31st October and online at www.puregallery.org.

For more information about Pure Arts Group visit: www.pureartsgroup.co.uk