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| Image: a spread from Saskia Wood’s The Female Imprint |
Saskia Wood, a 2021 Communication Design graduate from The Glasgow School of Art, has been named a global winner in the ARTSTHREAD awards it has been announced. Saskia beat competition from over 5000 international creative practitioners featured in the ARTSTHREAD 2021 Graduate Showcase to win the award for the Best Graphic Design graduate.
Working across both physical and digital platforms with a keen interest in detail, typography and identity, Saskia’s final year work focused on combining research with editorial and exhibition design. At the core of her work was The Female Imprint, a project aimed at uncovering and highlighting the work of women who worked outside the well -known canon of graphic design.
A specially created publication highlights and celebrates female creatives working from 1930-1980 in Italy. It aimed not only to showcase their work, but provide social context to the time when they were working. For further information on the project see Notes for Editors.
‘We are all thrilled by Saskia’s success’, said Acting Programme Leader Steve Rigley, ‘her main project, The Female Imprint, was informed by extensive research and was beautifully conceived. These qualities were consistent right through her graduating portfolio. Saskia was a very popular student, and I’m sure she will flourish.’
The ARTSTHREAD awards are sponsored by Gucci.
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Further information:
Lesley Booth
07799414474
press@gsa.ac.uk
Notes for Editors
Saskia Wood: The Female Imprint
The study of design history is a way of filtering the past; it’s a way of selecting what’s important to remember, shaping it and classifying it. It’s also a way of selecting what’s important to forget”J.Abbott Miller
The story of design in Italy is fascinating, but one that largely overlooks the women involved. Beginning my project with Nicola-Matteo Munari’s Archivio Grafica Italiana, I was struck by the number of women recorded on his site and emailed him questioning this. He stated that few female designers were recorded as there is little evidence of work under their name.
Therese Moll, Lora Lamm, Anita Klinz, Carla Buttura, Peggy Hopper, Carla Gorgerino and Adriana Botti Monti all worked in a male profession before it was legal for women to have a divorce, or illegal for a husband to have dominance over his wife. In 1970, Italian artist Carla Accardi formed the ‘Rivolta Femminile’: The face of Rome, Milan and Florence was plastered with posters of a one thousand word manifesto stating the right for women’s freedom. Design altered, moving from the office to the streets. Becoming less consumerist and more political, fronted by women not defined as graphic designer’s but who created vibrant explosive visual poetry: Lucia Marcucci, Ketty La Rocca and Tomaso Binga communicated a historical change through graphic language, yet received little recognition for it.
This publication intends to highlight and celebrate female creatives working from 1930-1980 in Italy. Aiming not only to showcase their work but provide social context to the time when they were working.
About ARTSTHREAD
ARTSTHREAD was created in 2008 and over the years has helped thousands of new artists and designers launch their own businesses and gain employment worldwide. ARTSTHREAD has built relationships with more than 900 creative higher-education institutions, engaging with over 400,000 students and recent graduates in approximately 125 countries. ARTSTHREAD partners with leading brands, organisations, events & media to help launch the next generation of creative talent globally.
For further information about ARTSTHREAD visit www.artsthread.com
Key Stats from 2021 Global Design Graduate Show:
● 5,211 art & design undergraduates, graduates and postgraduates entered their work for consideration
● 109 nationalities
● 417 art & design universities/colleges worldwide
● 500 students were shortlisted from the entries received by our panel of independent expert judges
● 172,877 votes cast in the public vote
● 140 Industry judges https://www.artsthread.com/events/globaldesigngraduateshow/#judges
About GUCCI
Founded in Florence in 1921, Gucci is one of the world’s leading luxury fashion brands. As the House marks its 100th Anniversary under the Creative Direction of Alessandro Michele, with Marco Bizzarri as President and Chief Executive, Gucci moves forward into the coming decades with an ongoing commitment to redefining luxury, while celebrating the creativity, innovation and Italian craftsmanship at the core of its values. Gucci is part of the global luxury group Kering, which manages the development of a series of renowned Maisons in fashion, leather goods, jewelry and watches.
For further information about Gucci visit www.gucci.com.