By Mrs Lugsden (Head of Art and Textiles)

It was a pleasure to welcome back alumna Shama Johns for an inspiring artist talk during lunchtime on Tuesday 10th February.

Shama, who left Dame Alice Harpur School in 2012, studied A Level Fine Art under the guidance of Mrs Smith and I, and after leaving school, Shama chose to study Biology at the University Leicester and later pursued a career in marketing. Her passion for art, however, never faded, and in time she made the brave decision to return to a creative pathway.

Since that move she has worked to develop her distinctive artistic practice, that reflects her personal experiences, and centers largely on still life, often inspired by food and the ways in which it brings people together. She also produces commissioned illustrations alongside her fine art practice. Students were delighted to see examples of her work and hear about the processes behind them. Her honest reflections on changing direction, following a passion and building a creative career resonated strongly with pupils. It was a truly engaging and motivating session, and students gained a great deal from hearing about Shama’s journey, from A Level Art student to professional artist.

We are very grateful to Shama for returning to share her experiences and for offering such valuable insight into the many pathways that creativity can open.

You can view Shama’s work here.