Notable Alumni from the NTU School of Art & Design

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Esther Patterson (BA Hons Decorative Arts)

NTU BA Decorative Arts alumna, Esther Patterson, was shortlisted for an Elle Decoration British Design Award 2012. Esther graduated with a first class degree in 2009 and has seen her hand-blown glass lighting business, Curiousa and Curiousa, go from strength to strength. Esther Patterson founded bespoke, hand-blown glass lighting company Curiousa & Curiousa in 2010 through which she produces bespoke glass lighting solutions for domestic and commercial settings. She launched her business in Design Week at Tent London in 2010, where she picked up the prestigious Elle Decoration Approval Award, and has since established an enviable list of clients which includes Liberty London, Harvey Nichols and Jamie Oliver’s chain of restaurants, Union Jacks. http://curiousaandcuriousa.co.uk

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Kirsty Whyte (BA Hons Decorative Arts)

Kirsty Whyte is an award winning UK designer who graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2003 with a First Class Degree in BA (Hons) Decorative Arts. At university she specialized in kiln formed glass and on graduation was invited as an international guest student to Kalmar University, located in the famous “Kingdom of Crystal”, in Sweden. Kirsty has exhibited at international Fairs such as, the Stockholm Furniture Fair, Maison et Objet, The London Design Festival, 100% Design London, Salone Satellite Milano and Tortona Milano. She worked for several years at homeware and furniture retailer Habitat, where she gained valuable experience in many areas of retail and design. She has also interned for Tom Dixon and Raw Edges. From August 2011 to September 2012 Kirsty has been based in Shanghai, allowing her to work directly with manufacturers, gaining valuable experience, contacts and knowledge regarding the whole design development and manufacture process. Kirsty has had items manufactured by Made.Com, Modus, Heals And Normann Copenhagen, and freelanced for Dwell, Next Home, British Home Stores and Laura Ashley. http://www.kirstywhyte.com

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Tim Noble and Sue Webster (both studied BA Hons Fine Art)

Tim Noble and Sue Webster are two British artists who work as a collaborative duo known as Noble and Webster. Their work is included in The Saatchi Collection, London and The Guggenheim Museum, New York. Their signature imagery involves experimenting with the assemblage of personal items and household rubbish to create silhouettes that are formed by lights shining on the mounds of rubbish to create shadow sculpture. Their first shadow sculpture, ‘Miss Understood & Mr Meanor’ which was bought by Charles Saatchi in 1997. They have been sought after ever since with fans including Nick Cave, Kylie Minogue and Bryan Ferry. http://www.timnobleandsuewebster.com

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Lucy Orta (BA Hons Knitwear Design, Hon MA 2007)

After graduating with an honours degree in fashion-knitwear design from Nottingham Trent University in 1989, Lucy began practicing as a visual artist in Paris in 1991. Her sculptural work investigates the boundaries between the body and architecture, exploring their common social factors, such as communication and identity. Lucy uses the media of sculpture, public intervention, video, and photography to realize her work. Her most emblematic artworks include Refuge Wear and Body Architecture (1992–98), portable, lightweight, and autonomous structures representing issues of survival. Lucy’s work has been the focus of major survey exhibitions at the Weiner Secession, Austria (1999); the Contemporary Art Museum of the University of South Florida, for which she received the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts award (2001); and the Barbican Centre, London (2005). She is a Professor of Art and the Environment at the University of the Arts London and was the inaugural Rootstein Hopkins Chair at London College of Fashion from 2002–7. From 2002–5 was the head of Man & Humanity, a pioneering master program that stimulates socially driven and sustainable design, which she co-founded with Li Edelkoort at the Design Academy in Eindhoven in 2002.

http://www.studio-orta.com/

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Julian Finney (BA Hons Photography)

Julian Finney studied photography at school then college before attending the Nottingham Trent University where he graduated with a BA Photography degree. His career in Sports Photography began in 2004 for Getty Images. Julian enjoys shooting a wide range of sports. In his time Julian has covered events such as the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing and London, the Rugby World Cup in France, The Commonwealth Games in India, The Asian Games in Qatar, all four Tennis Grand Slams, International and Club Football, World Athletics, International Cricket, Formula One and Winter Sports. Julian has worked closely with many clients and organisations including the Men’s and Women’s Professional Tennis Tours, LTA, FIFA, UEFA and many more. Tennis and Football being his favourite sports, he has travelled all over covering various events. Whilst travelling to many parts of the world with his sport photography Julian has enjoyed working on a travel and portrait collection also. He’s recently started a feature project on Sunday League Football naming it ‘Grass Roots’ based on the famous Hackney Marshes pitches in east London. His work has appeared in many major publications around the world including Sports Illustrated, L’Equipe, Stern and Sport Mag UK. As well as usages on websites, magazines and books he’s had a photo selected for a Royal Mail stamp and one for a Corn Flakes box. He won the SJA Young Sports Photographer Award and the Picture Editor Awards Young Photographer prize in 2006. http://www.julianfinney.com

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Simon Starling (BA Hons Photography 1990)

Simon Starling is an English conceptual artist and won the Turner Prize in 2005 for his 'Shedboatshed' installation that involved taking a wooden shed, turning it into a boat, sailing it down the Rhine and turning it back into a shed. In 2007 he received NTU’s Alumnus of the Year Award. His work is in the permanent collection of distinguished museums, such as the Tate Modern, London; Moderna Museet, Stockholm; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York to name a few. Simon is an artist fascinated by the processes involved in transforming one object or substance into another. In solo exhibitions worldwide, he has showcased installations and pilgrimage-like journeys highlighting ideas about nature, technology, economics, modernity and mass production.

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Ren Pearce and Andrew Fionda (both BA Hons Textiles/Fashion)

Reynold Pearce and Andrew Fionda met in 1985 at Nottingham Trent University, where they both studied fashion. They formed an instant friendship and, after graduating, both went on to gain further experience, with Reynold working for John Galliano before completing an MA at Central St Martins and Andrew undertaking an MA at the Royal College of Art. Following graduation, Reynold worked as a design assistant for Roland Klein and Andrew designed for established fashion houses in the UK and then worked with John Mcintyre in Hong Kong, producing collections for the American market. By 1993, having accumulated a wealth of experience, Reynold and Andrew felt ready to produce their first collection under their own label, Pearce Fionda. Their first capsule collection for Spring/Summer 1995 was shown in the New Generation show during London Fashion Week. Throughout the '90s post-recession, glamour became the Pearce Fionda's trademark, with a pared-down condensation of liquid sheath dresses that percolated over the body. The Pearce Fionda collection is aimed at the higher end of the designer womenswear market, with emphasis on chic modern daywear through to eveningwear with sophisticated overtones. Special attention is given to detail in all aspects of their work, with particular emphasis on cut, silhouette and proportion. Their creativity and professional attitude towards design secured them the Newcomers Award for Export in 1994 from the BKCEC (British Knitwear Clothing Export Council) and Fashion Weekly, the New Generation Award at the Lloyds Bank British Fashion Awards in 1995, The International Apparel Federation (IAF) World Young Designers Award in 1996 and the Glamour Award at the Lloyds Bank British Fashion Awards in 1997. Since 1997, Pearce Fionda have also designed the hugely successful PIIF collection for the Designers at Debenhams range, one of the first designers to launch the concept alongside Jasper Conran, specialising in both glamorous grown up eveningwear and a bridal collection. Having designed everything from bridal to shoes, the duo now concentrate on their hugely successful eveningwear range and childrens bridesmaid creations. Ren and Andrew are about to celebrate twenty years working in British Fashion, and are currently working on their demi-couture collections in their Bermondsey studio. http://www.pearcefionda.com

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Mary Crisp (BA Hons Textile Design)

Mary Crisp is a Royal College of Art trained colour and material designer, specialising in transportation and interior design. For the last 4 years Mary has worked in automotive design studios in Germany and the UK, designing innovative material solutions for concept and production vehicles. Mary has also freelanced for projects covering domestic & commercial interiors, industrial, fashion, trend prediction and tutoring. She is available for contracts and commissions. Mary Crisp is also one of our alumni mentors. See the Alumni webpage for further information.

http://www.marycrisp.co.uk

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Gary McCann (BA Hons Theatre Design)

Originally from County Armagh, Northern Ireland, Gary trained at Nottingham Trent University (theatre Design). Now based in Greenwich, London, he has worked as a theatre, opera, TV and event designer since 1996. He has long-standing relationships with Live Theatre in Newcastle and the Lyric Theatre Belfast and has designed many projects with these companies over the last decade. His work has been exhibited at the V&A museum in London twice - as part of the Collaborators and Transformation / Revelation exhibitions. Gary was nominated for the Theatre Management Association awards 2012 for The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéry, at the Lyric Theatre Belfast. http://gary-mccann.sqsp.com

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Stuart Nunn (BA Hons Theatre Design)

Production Designer and British set and costume designer, Stuart Nunn, studied Theatre Design at Nottingham Trent University. He has worked extensively in Great Britain and throughout Europe in the roles of designer and associate designer. His third collaboration with stage director Graham Vick is Boris Godunov at the Mariinsky Theatre in Russia, having previously designed sets and costumes for King Idomeneo (Birmingham Opera Company) and Mosè in Egitto (Rossini Festival, Italy). Mosè in Egitto was awarded the Premio Abbiati for “Best Opera Production” in Italy in 2011.

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/designers/nann

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