‘Altered’ exhibition celebrating transformation to open at the Grand Arcade, Cambridge

New work by nine artists studying the MA fine art course at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) is to go on display in Unit 47 on the first floor of the Grand Arcade in Cambridge.

Titled ‘Altered’, the free exhibition, which showcases each artist’s own personal journey, opens tomorrow (Friday, 19 April) and runs until Sunday (21 April), and then from Thursday, 25 April, to Sunday, 28 April, from 11am-5pm.

The artworks use a variety of media, including drawing, collage, paint, print, photography, natural inks, textiles, and ceramics.

The exhibition covers topics including identity, body image, family life, and transformation. Altered also refers to the personal stories of many of the students whose work will be on display.

Many of the MA fine art students have local connections, but their stories also speak of transformation and following new paths.

Declan Hoare said: “My practice draws upon the motivation of being told at school that I had no talent for art and should bring a book to class and read.

“Having now retired I have learnt that art is about a will and passion to create. That will and passion now drives my learning and practice on the Masters.”

Natasha Green added: “From displacement and homelessness, my story is about overcoming adversity and a search for identity.

“As a Eurasian, I wish to celebrate the hybrid identity and hope to find a sense of place in Cambridge, the city I was born in... I have come home in every sense of the word.”

The Altered exhibition will be on show in Unit 47 on the first floor of the Grand Arcade. The exhibition is free to attend.