Type: Gallery
Category: Innovation

Four MA Creative Events Management students are helping children with ED to explore their environment through creativity, with a series of Structuristic Art webinars.

Structuristic Art is a practice established by Swiss communication analyst and artist Felix Stoffel, teaching his pupils a technique based on the development of systematically interwoven layers of colour.

Acrylic paints are one of the base materials used, as the artist's board absorbs the water, it eventually evaporates and creates tiny hollow areas through which light can penetrate the paintings. The process gives the artworks their unique illuminative quality.

Onna Rageth, Rachel Cole, Bettina Snowdon and Teri Jeynes are all Falmouth Flexible students, studying their degree and attending lectures digitally, without the need for a career break or a relocation.

Onna, a licenced Structuristic Art teacher, explained: "In order to create a Structuristic artwork, many layers of colour, shape and patterns are applied using various different materials such as liquid acrylics, fine liners and oil pastels. Every child is allowed to draw and paint whatever they wish, there are no boundaries.

"Afterwards, each artwork is varnished and registered, meaning they are given a special sign to show that they are original Structuristic artworks designed by the respective child. By now, there are over 2,700 artworks registered from over 600 students globally."

It was Bettina who suggested focusing the workshops on children with ED, after speaking with a friend of hers whose child has the rare skin condition. Onna went on to say: "We wanted to incorporate these children into our events in order to raise awareness for this condition, as well as provide a safe online space."

ED is a genetic disorder, of which more than 180 types have been identified, that affects the development of the hair, nails, teeth and sweat glands. Each type often involves a different combination of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe, and people with the condition often share similar features.

Speaking on Falmouth's impact on the events, Onna reflected: "Without studying at Falmouth and without being asked to design an online event, I don't think I would've had the courage to teach Structuristic art lessons online, even though I've been teaching the technique since 2012.

"My fellow group members helped tremendously, each one of them providing their expertise and we were therefore able to carry out a series of holistic webinars. I am convinced that Structuristic Art has an online future and maybe an offline one in the UK. I'd love to help establish it here!"

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