Let’s call it an arrival.
A two-year journey has brought us here, side by side. It has been such an honour and privilege to be part of such a special group. We started as strangers, each bringing our own experiences and questions, and arrived here as friends and a community.
It was a privilege to witness my peers’ hard work in person and finally see the artworks we had watched develop over time. What made this experience so special was that we built this community online, regardless of borders, cultures, and backgrounds, yet we all shared the same longing to finally meet face to face.
We finished the course, received our results, and celebrated our work and the effort that brought us here. Perhaps there is no need for this post, but I feel it is important to mark and document this moment. It’s a journey I hope future students will benefit from. We all travel a similar path, and I believe it’s our responsibility to pass on our knowledge and experience to those who come after us.
For the degree show, I exhibited two works: Dear Moon, which I had always planned to show, and Spell Te, which Jonathan encouraged me to include. The opening was wonderfully busy, and it was a joy to see so many people engaging with our work and sharing such generous feedback.
I remember starting this course simply listening and learning, without really knowing what would come next. I couldn’t imagine what my degree show would look like or how my research would develop. What I never doubted, however, was the course itself. It was exactly the kind of learning I had been searching for, and I believed it would fit perfectly around my life. I also knew that what I gained from it would depend on my own commitment, curiosity, and willingness to put in the work and time would reveal the rest.
My advice to new students is not to judge your work or your research too early. The whole purpose is to begin with uncertainty and limited knowledge. Gradually, through practice, reflection, and conversation, you build a richer understanding of your own practice and of the wider world around it.
What made this course so successful was its organic and deeply human approach to learning. Everything grew through practice, guided by compassion, generosity, and care. When those values become part of your journey, everything else begins to find its place.
As I always say, if I can do it, anyone can. And perhaps they will do it even better than I did.
Karema 