Fine Art graduates Clive Kudakwashe and Jess Thomas, otherwise known as the duo ‘Multiplicity’ have recently shown work in their first solo show.

The exhibition, held at the Truman Brewery, ran from the 1st until the 4th of February and consisted of new work from both Kudakwashe and Thomas, the sole contributors to the collective. The duo won the overall prize at Free Range 2017, exhibiting with their peers within the ‘v.serious art show’ – this solo show being the outcome of the prize.

Our graduate in residence, Joseff Morgan, visited the show on behalf of the course and asked the duo some questions:

So, you were given this opportunity as a result of winning the overall Free Range prize. What was the interaction with the Free Range employees… like, did they give you formal tutorial help?

Clive: Everyone from Free Range was amazing, they were constantly accessible by email, and we visited them quite a few times.

Jess: The help we received wasn’t as formal as tutorials, we’d just bounce ideas off them, and they’d respond, usually in a positive manner. They’re all arty people, so I think they understood the process that we were going through.

Do you feel that the BA (Hons) Fine Art course prepared you for the demands of a solo show? 

Clive: I think that the degree helped me with the academic side of my practice; putting the work I make and the ideas that I use into a coherent and understandable format. Whether it be for a proposal, for our website, or for the information we hand out at shows like this one, being able to write about my practice is so important.

Jess: The technical help we received was amazing, having learnt how to use software we probably wouldn’t have otherwise used. Having a query and the possibility of that being answered really thoroughly and pretty much immediately was something I felt fortunate to have.

Clive: The fact that we hold a number of exhibitions on the course, including Free Range does prepare you for the reality of showing work off your own back, being able to understand what to expect was really helpful.

Finally, I felt that in comparison to your degree work, your current work has definitely been developed and has moved forward, do you have any comments to make regarding this?

Clive: Having to contend with the reality of postgraduate work such as living far apart or having full-time work actually had an unexpectedly positive impact. We couldn’t make work in as much of an experimental manner, meaning we had to put time into story-boarding and planning everything that we’d do. We were so, so stressed by the importance of the opportunity, but this added another layer of pressure that pushed us along.

Jess: I really struggled with turning on that ‘creative button’, especially when I didn’t feel like I wanted to make work. I definitely feel like our work has got better though.

Clive: We did really try to focus on what went into the work, I felt like we could be more confident and I guess this came out in the work.

Thanks guys, we’re all really looking forward to seeing what you both get up to in the future! 

Find out more about studying BA (Hons) Fine Art.