We recently caught up with current BA (Hons) Illustration student Kai Reynolds, who tells us his positive interview experience, how he loves spending time in the University's library and what he is currently working on...
Why did you choose to study at Leeds Arts University?
It's a really great location and I was able to stay up north without feeling like I was missing out on a fully involved arts university experience. During my interview I chatted with students and tutors and I got a great sense of the whole university - a vibrant and engaging community. My choice was also backed up by the range of facilities available and the really welcoming course and workshop staff.
Image: Courtesy of Kai Reynolds
What do you specialise in and what are you working on at the moment?
I really enjoy drawn sequential art and esoteric narratives. At the heart of the course is a really profound sense of play and exploration, so what I'm specialising in at any given moment might just change! I'm currently drawing an eight-page comic that plays with the juxtaposition of images which has emerged from my sketchbook work.
Image: Courtesy of Kai Reynolds
Tell us which resources and facilities you use the most, and how they help you develop your practice.
While stuff like the screen printing and digital print facilities are really valuable, the resources I get the most use out of would have to be the studios and library. The studios are a really comfortable space to work and allow you to engage with the work of others. The space enables me to be more focused, create more of an understanding of my work and how it might function in a professional workplace. The library is also a great way to lose an afternoon getting absorbed into every book that catches your eye, in a way that can't help but broaden your understanding of whatever topic brought you there.
How does the University support you?
I’m given a lot of opportunities to contact tutors, with one-to-one sessions throughout each module where I can discuss my work and progress. Although more broadly speaking there's also the Student Union, who are always happy to chat about concerns, however big or small. They make sure my voice is heard and they have worked really hard this past year to adapt alongside Covid-19 restrictions.
Image: Courtesy of Kai Reynolds
Describe yourself in three words
Inarticulate, sorry, bye!
(alternatively)
Subterranean, blind, hungry.
@thehalfdigestedboyHeader Image: Courtesy of Kai Reynolds