The eclectic selection

When approaching the RCA’s graduate show the most important thing is to keep an open mind – oh and make sure you leave plenty of time, there’s a lot to take in.

So what can you expect? Well there are topics that have become perennial. Our relationship with our bodies, for instance – I was repulsed and fascinated by a film from Amy Wright in Contemporary Art that tackles that subject head on. Then there is sustainability: I recommend you look at Charlie Humble-Thomas’ investigation of repair, recycling and durability through the medium of an umbrella in the Design Products section.

This has been a tumultuous 18 months that has thrown the spotlight on a raft of social issues, whether it be the MeToo movement or Black Lives Matter. In the School of Architecture, Ayanna Adannay Blair-Ford’s project on staging black theatre looked at the subject in an unexpected and compelling way. While I was captivated (and hugely saddened) by Meg Dupont’s intimately animated short film about attending her first on-line funeral for a family member – a situation that we all hope remains unique to this time.

However, among all these important topics, it’s good to see there is still space for beauty – the ceramic vessels from Sunyoung Oh are a fine example.

However, arguably the real joy of the show is stumbling across ideas and objects you never would have considered yourself. It could be a beach resort deliberately designed to encourage melancholia (Yuwei Ren), floating allotments in Camden Town (Zhengxiao Wang), or a cutlery set that doubles as dumb bells (Weiran Cai).

Finally, have you ever wondered if you could wear a chair like a piece of jewellery? Thought not. You’ll be glad to know Ximeng Liu has.