Olivia Turner is a former student of Kirklees College and studied for a Foundation Degree in Art at the Batley School of Art in the early 2010s. After leaving Kirklees College, Turner gained a BA Hons in Painting from the University of Edinburgh and has since had a very successful career in the art industry.
Olivia’s latest exhibition, Shifting Perspective, is on at Detail Framing & Gallery in Edinburgh until 21 October. The exhibition sees Turner move away from painting and into 3D modelling and sculpture, where the works displayed are inspired by Brutalist architecture, a key theme throughout her collection of work.
In 2021, Olivia held an exhibition at Globe Arts Studio in Slaithwaite, which was founded by her former Batley School of Art tutor, Jackie Harrowsmith. The exhibition, Coalescence was a huge success and showcased the work Olivia had been doing during the lockdown, including a series of paintings and marquetry work.
Olivia has won a range of prestigious awards in recent years, including a VACMA award and the Open Contemporary Young Artist Award. She is also currently President of the Society of Scottish Arts and the youngest person to hold this position in the organisation’s 130-year history.
Speaking about her time at Batley School of Art, Olivia said:
“I always talk very fondly about my time at Batley School of Art. It was one of the best years of my education and it really allowed me to explore my practice. I think without it I wouldn’t be where I am today and I have also made lifelong friendships from it. If I could do the year all over again I definitely would!”
Kirklees College continues to offer a range of art and design courses, including two foundation qualifications: Foundation Diploma in Art, Design and Media Practice and Creative Industries Practitioners Level 4 at Pioneer Higher Skills Centre in Dewsbury. Olivia’s success is testament to the essential and valuable skills a vocational art and design qualification can equip you with, and where one can take you.
To find out more about Olivia’s work and the Shifting Perspective exhibition, head to her website.