Glasgow School of Art honours two former students including Turner Prize winner
Jasleen Kaur and Hiroaki Kimura were celebrated for their "outstanding contributions" to the fields of fine art, design, and architecture.
Jasleen, a 2008 GSA graduate known for her interdisciplinary work centred on cultural memory, diasporic identity, and colonial histories, was awarded the honorary Doctor of Letters.
Read more: Glasgow student who lost brother and cared for mum wins award for resilience
Hailing from Pollokshields, Jasleen's work is informed by her Sikh upbringing and spans various media including sculpture, installation, and video.
The artist and winner of the 2024 Turner Prize expressed her gratitude for the award.
She said: "It was unexpected, but a total honour to be awarded the Honorary Doctorate this year, especially as Glasgow and The Glasgow School of Art are such significant places to me.
"They are both places that have shaped me, and I think often of how fortunate I am to have had access to free education, which was totally life-changing."
Japanese architect and researcher Hiroaki Kimura was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters.
Hiroaki, who began his studies of Charles Rennie Mackintosh while studying in Glasgow, has dedicated over four decades to documenting and promoting Mackintosh's work globally.
Professor Sally Stewart, head of the Mackintosh School of Architecture, said: "While practising and teaching over the last 40 years, first in Kobe and subsequently at the Kyoto Institute of Technology, Hiroaki has never ceased to be interested in the studies he began as a student here at The Glasgow School of Art, or the opportunities that those studies opened to him."
The GSA also celebrated the talents of its students, with Anna Lewis, a graduate of sculpture and environmental art, awarded the 2025 Newbery Medal for her work.
Martin Newth, head of the School of Fine Art, said: "Anna creates extraordinary objects that are beautifully and precisely crafted.
"She brings the same careful attention to detail to arranging the varied pieces in her evocative and deeply enigmatic installations.
"Anna is a wonderful artist whose work is hard to categorise and offers exactly the kind of challenge that makes it so compelling."
Other finalists for the Newbery Medal, who each received a Chair's Medal, were Iestyn Howorth from the product design programme, Emelie Christina Fraser from architecture, and Duoduo Lin from the silversmithing and jewellery department.
Read more: Brothers graduate together from the same course at UWS Paisley with first-class degrees
Professor Penny Macbeth, director and principal of GSA, said: "Today marks a key moment for our graduates as they move forward into the next stage of their creative careers, equipped with skills they have learned during their time here at The Glasgow School of Art and applying them in new roles across the creative sector.
'This year's honorary doctorates are exemplars of the impact and legacy that our global creative network of graduates can make, demonstrating the value of creative education and the importance that creative people can make in setting the pace, in asking challenging questions, and in offering positive solutions.
"We are proud to award the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in recognition of the outstanding success they have each achieved in their respective fields, expanding their research and creative practices to international significance and acclaim.
"Jasleen Kaur is the seventh GSA graduate to win the prestigious Turner Prize.
"Her interdisciplinary practice explores how we define ourselves and preserve and challenge our traditions.
"Architect and teacher Hiroaki Kimura has made a significant global contribution to research and knowledge related to Mackintosh, through a long and remarkable relationship with the institution that has spanned over 40 years."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Buying gifts for family is a merry-go-round – it's a relief when you stop'
Beneath the surface of any happy family exchanging gifts, there's often a seething vipers' nest of hurt and resentment. At least one (child-free) person will be mentally calculating the dizzying cost of buying for 10 nieces and nephews and receiving a cheap calendar in return, another will be fuming because they weren't included in the present-buying kitty and a child will be eyeing their cousin's birthday bonanza with bitter envy. Family gift-giving goes way beyond Christmas, running through anniversaries ('We got Mum and Dad a trip to the Maldives, but I'm sure they loved your framed photo'), birthdays and holiday souvenirs, whereby you give them a £200 voucher for looking after the pets and they return the favour with a paperweight from Marbella airport. It's all a sure-fire recipe for burning resentment. 'At nine, my son is significantly younger than my three siblings' children,' says Alex Keyes*, 40, from Bristol. 'Some years ago, in a conversation about how to navigate Christmas, they all decided it was better to just buy for the children and not the adults. No one told me, and I ended up buying for all the adults and children – and didn't get anything in return.' It wasn't so much not having a present that stung, she explains, as 'not being considered. I was starting out in my career, with only one income paying the mortgage, and they didn't think of the financial or emotional impact of realising I'd been forgotten.' 'Within families, acts like gift-giving have the capacity to transport us back in time,' says Georgina Sturmer, a British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy counsellor. 'Giving and receiving gifts isn't just about the present moment – it can reignite old feelings around how we were treated when we were younger, patterns of behaviour within families, old and unresolved resentments.' Because the family dynamic can trigger intensely negative past feelings around 'unfairness', 'they can spill over when our inner child or teenager takes over', says Sturmer. It's not just the nature of the gift (or not) that can hurt, adds Sturmer – it's what it means about a sibling or family relationship. ''Gift-giving involves layers of emotional pressure,' she explains. 'The amount we spend, the choices we make and the way the gift may come to represent the relationship itself.' The cost of living crisis is making the financial toll on those who wind up shelling out more even worse. 'My husband and I haven't bought Christmas presents for years,' says professional organiser Karen Powell from Surrey. 'Last year, I agreed a £20 limit with my sister. This year we're not buying at all and will meet to do something nice and spend the day together. 'I have clients who have Christmas and birthday presents from last year unopened,' she adds. 'We all have so much, it's too much. It is so overwhelming! I see a lot of family dilemmas around gift-giving and, often, people are so relieved to get off that merry-go-round.' 'One year, I gave 40 people presents and got virtually nothing back,' says financial adviser Polly Arrowsmith from London. 'After that, I explained to my friends that I was no longer buying presents, which was a relief for me.' Family is equally fraught around gifting issues, she adds. 'I do spend a lot more on my family than they do on me and I make way more effort. One of my close family members is notorious for setting a strict budget of £50 – and, generally, they then forget,' Arrowsmith admits. 'They have a friend for whom they'll buy things like an iPad. But when I asked them to contribute towards my sister's 60th birthday present, they said no.' She used to find that attitude upsetting, but now says: 'I had to learn to accept that I have a different love language.' Not everyone employs gift-giving to show affection and esteem, agrees Sturmer. 'We all have different preferences when it comes to receiving affection,' she says. 'For some, receiving gifts isn't high on the list – we might prefer another 'love language', such as words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service and physical touch.' If there's an imbalance, and you – or one of your siblings – is caught in the 'forking out and not receiving' trap, it's worth mentioning. 'Often in families, traditions become entrenched and nobody questions them even if they no longer serve a purpose,' says Sturmer. Author Melissa McNally, from Hampshire, recalls: 'Last Christmas, my father-in law came to me and joked: 'It's your fault I'm poor'. Before his son met me, there was just him and his grandson to buy for,' she explains. 'For the past eight years, he's had to buy for me, my daughter, my son, his wife, my stepson – he's a pensioner and admitted he can't really afford it.' Meanwhile, McNally had similar concerns. 'There are a few of us in the family who earn really good money, and those who don't, so the balance seems uneven. After Christmas we all agreed not to buy presents this year but to put £100 each in a pot and spend it on an experience or a weekend away,' she explains. 'I think it's a lovely idea, and it makes the occasion more joyful – concentrating on being together, rather than what we're receiving.' Author and speaker Ani Naqvi from London is all too aware of the imbalance in her family. While she is child-free, her only sibling is a mother of four. 'I also have nine cousins,' she adds. 'In our culture, every birthday, graduation, anniversary, Eid, we give gifts. My mum gives lots of gifts to others, but she doesn't get as much in return. It's the same for me. I have my nieces and nephews to buy for as well as godchildren and close friends.' For Naqvi, however, it's less of a problem and more an opportunity to show affection. 'I find so much joy in giving and don't expect to receive the same back,' she insists. 'In times of financial hardship I would still give but a bit less.' She says it's down to her 'abundance mindset': 'When you give freely, with no expectation of receiving, you get rewarded in different ways.' For big occasions, she adds, her family will pool their money for a joint gift. 'Those doing well put in a bit more. It all works out in the end.' If you're struggling to feel as Zen, though, speak up now, says Sturmer. 'Don't leave it until family members have already started stockpiling their Christmas gifts.' Family relationships can be complex and tangled, she adds, 'so use 'I' statements to stop yourself from being drawn into an old, unhelpful dynamic – calmly stating how you feel, rather than apportioning blame'. Although family gifts are rooted in tradition, expectation and celebration, if you're overspending, mired in complex Amazon wish-lists and resenting the whole thing, it's time to take a step back. 'Sometimes it's important to look past the objects that we are purchasing and remember the true intention behind the giving,' says Sturmer. 'What are we trying to communicate in our gift? Perhaps it's gratitude, appreciation or simply an acknowledgement of our relationship.' And if you do decide to pool your resources, remember to tell everyone in the family. Sometimes, feeling included is the real gift. *Name has been changed Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chelsea Flower Show garden opens on Hull estate
An award-winning garden from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show will officially open at its new home in Hull later. The Songbird Survival Garden has been relocated to the Alf Marshall Community Centre on Goodhart Road, Bransholme after winning a silver gilt medal at the prestigious show. Almost two years on since the initial bid for the garden, it is hoped the space can become a place of peace and tranquillity for the local community. Lucy Carew and Sarah Weichardt, joint chief executives of The Neighbourhood Network charity, said it was a "dream come true" to see the garden come to life. "We can't quite believe it if we're honest," said Ms Weichardt. "It is such a beautiful space. We come into the garden and we look at it and we're like, oh my god, this is just amazing. "There's nothing like this around here and we're just really excited to open the gates to the community." The garden is part of a wider project at the site to overhaul the existing outdoor space for the local community, previously described by Ms Carew as a "concrete jungle". After appearing at the show in May, the garden was relocated plant-by-plant to Hull where it was reassembled in a space more than double what it had at Chelsea. Designer Nicola Oakey hoped to highlight the plight of the UK songbird and help return the most at risk birds back into our gardens. The garden was inspired by the movement and perspective of a bird, featuring paths winding though layers of bird-friendly plants, which are aimed at helping them feed, shelter and nest. There is a pond to provide water for bathing. The garden will host a further community day on Tuesday 22 June between 13:00 and 15:00 BST so local residents can "see what all the fuss is about", Ms Carew said. "We've been busy planting and building things within the garden, but now we want to open the gates and let everyone enjoy it and get involved. "We're looking for people to make this garden their own as well, to help plan and grow things and be a part of the story." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices Chelsea Flower Show garden relocated to city site Chelsea Flower Show garden to be installed in Hull First Chelsea Flower Show win for garden designer RHS: The Songbird Survival Garden Alf Marshall Community Centre
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Final stage of clock tower repairs to begin
The final stage of work to renovate a Victorian clock tower on top of an arts centre is due to get under way. Repairs to the roof and timber structure of Grantham Guildhall began in October, after rainwater leaked through the ceiling of the centre's ballroom during adverse weather. The final stage of the work renovating the bell tower on the building in St Peter's Hill will commence on Sunday, South Kesteven District Council said. Councillor Richard Cleaver said the work on the Grade II listed building had taken longer than expected due to extra "extensive repairs" being needed. He said: "Sadly, during this work, significant issues were found with the condition of the bell turret, which has been carefully assessed by our consultant who has been working with the conservation officer, because this is a Grade II listed building. "It requires extensive repairs that can only be safely done by removing the complete structure from the site by crane, repairing it in a workshop and then lifting it back into place to be fixed in position. "Our experts have spent time and effort in meticulously ensuring we do a thorough renovation job on this important building to return it to tip-top condition - and in doing so to ensure it will not need further structural maintenance for many years to come." The bell turret will be removed for repairs. The four columns which are supporting it will also be removed and any gaps left in the lead base at the bottom will be covered over, the council said. The scaffolding will then be taken down in August after the windows have been redecorated. Cleaver said the bell tower was expected to be "back in place next springtime". Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Click here to download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Click here to download the BBC News app from Google Play for Android devices. Events revealed for festival of Margaret Thatcher South Kesteven District Council
