09 Dec 2020 | 2 mins

There's no greater feeling in the world than finishing up your folio. All the blood, sweat and tears and voila, it's done! We wanna give a big kudos to some of you lil creatives who worked so hard to get your folios together, especially be able to hone in on your creativity during a freakin global pandemic!

A little while ago we ran a competition asking for you guys to submit your folios and we had some solid prizes up for grabs. Our fave three creatives would win scholarships to LCI Melbourne, mentoring sessions and some decent cash money!

We got hundreds of entries and were blown away by all of 'em! We know how hard work went into getting your folios done and dusted and we're bloody proud of each and every one of ya.

The digital event was at 6.30pm 9th of December. You can watch it here. 

So, without any further ado, our winners for 2020 are:

1. Matthew Douglass

I’m Matt and I create 2D and 3D digital artwork, the exoskeleton was my first big experience in 3D-printing, which is surprising for how well it turned out. I’m currently using my time to develop my 2D digital art skills, creating fashion and character illustrations. Industrial streetwear fashion has always inspired me when creating, so most of my creative inspiration comes from that culture of fashion. I’d love to design and create 3D printed fashion prosthetics, which we don’t see enough of today, as current prosthetics are practically a blank canvas for creativity.

2. Stella Pope

I’m Stella Pope a 17-year-old from Melbourne Australia. My work focuses primarily on a thematic approach of movement, and the ways in which it connects to personal identity. Throughout my approach to artmaking, I have been inspired to cultivate introspection and consider how individual identity is formed. From the age of five, dance became a passion of mine and I continued to train as a classical ballet dancer for 10 years. However, at age 15, I decided to take a step back from ballet, to focus on my secondary school studies and began to develop a broader interest in the arts. With this background as a dancer, I am fascinated by the human form and it’s expressive and communicative potential through movement as evident in my art. Whilst as a person of dual cultural identity (Laotian and Australian), I am bemused by my juxtaposing cultural contexts. I was born in Australia, however I have also lived as an expatriate in Malaysia and Singapore as a child, thus was acculturated into these cultures. As such, I have experienced a cultural identity confusion which I have explored throughout my work. I emphasise movement as the central tenet in my approach to art by exploring it conceptually and physically. Through this folio I have identified key facets of my personal identity, as well developing an understanding of how they inherently connect. In my work I implore the audience to contemplate the idea of ‘who am I’; each work created upon my artistic journey prompted me to discover and experiment with new mediums such as installation, photography, animation and textiles.

3. Iman Rasheed

Growing up in a really traditional Pakistani household shoes were never given any importance. We don’t wear them in the house, and the only time people would spend money on shoes was for weddings or bougie job interviews. But as a kid who grew up in WA, I realised how prominent the shoe-game was, especially in highschool. People were legit rocking up to school in Air maxes and Adidas Superstars, like the ones with paint splatters or elaborate custom designs, and I would be there with my plain Kmart sneakers shamelessly staring at the quote-unquote ‘swag’ of my fellow 13 year olds. So, in my last year of highschool, I took up digital art as my distressing activity, and these shoe drawings are my favourites out of my little collection! From Air Jordan’s that Michael Jordan would probably never wear, to the classic air forces, I let my imagination run wild to create these custom and somewhat questionable alterations to shoes I already can’t afford.

... and a highly commended award goes to

4. Lisa Greyling

Inspired by the humans who surround her and the beliefs they carry, Lisa Greyling artistically strives to document human behaviour. Based on the Gold Coast, Lisa mainly works with acrylic and gouache paints, creating pieces focused on human emotion and relationships, and producing projects which comment on societal culture. Occasionally her photography makes an appearance, the work usually covered with paint, embroidery or striking phrases. Having been born and spending most of her childhood in South Africa, the artist is continuously captivated by distinct cultures, norms and relationships formed through daily interactions and the dissemination caused because of it. Her immigration to Australia in 2018 offered her many new opportunities and privileges, causing her to consequently become more aware of the continuous struggle of persecuted individuals. Contemporary activist artists who comment on affairs such as the climate crisis, immigration, gender fluidity and race injustice have become sources of great inspiration to the aspiring artist.  

Wanna turn your creativity into a career?

If the idea of turning your burning creative passions into a flourishing career sounds like a dream come true (come on, of course it does!) - you're not alone. Lucky for you, LCI Melbourne don’t just give out amazing prizes to creative legends – they also offer a Bachelor of Design Arts. With majors in Communication Design, Fashion & Costume Design, Filmmaking & Photography, Graphic & Digital Design, Interior Design and Visual Arts, it'll let you flex your creativity no matter your flavour.

LCI Melbourne also helps with industry connections and on-the-job work placements so you’ll get all the theory knowledge as well as the practical skills you’ll need for when you graduate.

Suss out more info and register your interest over here.