Program Overview
In a world where most fields are ruled by practicality, purpose, and reason, the field of Arts has often been perceived as a breath of fresh air. A space which allows the viewer to express their opinions, their feelings, and build communications between individual by bringing them together through common interest. Here in the Department of Art & Design, we take pride in the fact that through our Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, our graduates train to become individuals who not only create, but also those who grow to observe, deliberate, question, and invoke others to do so. To challenge the norm and break out of the boundaries while also honouring the traditional roots. To find value in indigenous knowledge while also stepping boldly into the contemporary arts arena.
Program Objectives
Through the Bachelor of Fine Arts program, we aim to distil the basic principles of art and design and inculcate into the student an understanding of their environment and how to best respond through their area of study. Through an interdisciplinary method of teaching, at the Department of Art & Design, the students get the opportunity to pick, choose, and build their direction of learning, gearing to become creatives that each hold an individual specialist path. Each individual gets the opportunity to specialise in either the art of Painting, the 3D forms in Sculpture, the multiple forms of Printmaking – Western and Japanese Mokuhanga -, or traditional arts of Miniature Painting. These are supplemented by auxiliary courses of Digital Arts, Makerspace, Ceramics, Photography, Animation, Film, Calligraphy, etc. All the while, supplemented by a strong focus on theory, research, and field study. Through this method, the program aims to inculcate in the student:
- A range of skill-sets that allow the students to make practical, creative, and innovative reactions to the personal and the communal space, through which they focus not only on aesthetics, but also be able to move people to think out of the box.
- To sensitise the student to the importance of the richness of our heritage and tradition, and able to give value, learning from the knowledge that makes the fabric of the land, Combining traditional learning with contemporary innovations in art, the program aims to keep inculcate an appreciation of our traditional heritage and be able to develop a unique language.
- An interdisciplinary approach to the arts, allowing the students to not only become experts in multiple mediums and techniques but also open their horizons and learn the concepts of new media – robotics, coding, bio art – with a great focus on research based solution finding.
- Awareness of the local and international contemporary arts, allowing the students to make connections in the arts community and be able to contribute back to the local community through series of talks with experts in the field, workshops, and on-field research.
Entry Requirements
The admissions process is a combination of the University NTS test and the Departmental entry test. Candidates are required to have Intermediate or equivalent with a minimum of 50% marks from an accredited institution.
- All applicants must appear in the entrance test (NTS).
- All applicants to appear in the Creative Aptitude Test & Interview conducted by the Department of Art & Design.
- A list of selected applicants is prepared observing the following criteria:
- 30% weightage of General Merit (Matric/O-Levels 3% + Intermediate/A-Levels 12% + NTS 15% )
- 70% Creative Aptitude Test (Creative Writing 10% + Drawing/Making 25% +Portfolio 5% + Interview 30%)
Career Prostects
For the practitioners of the arts – be they specialists of Printmaking, having chosen a path in Painting, creating monumental art through Sculpture, practitioners of Japanese Mokuhanga or the arts of the kings, Miniature Painting – the advantage in choosing a career in Fine Arts means that the graduate is flexible and able to adapt in multiple fields. From building an individually lead practice in Arts, adapting easily in a Design studio as an illustrator and animator, to even interior, set design, performance based roles and managerial roles such as gallery and museum curation, amongst many more, the artist can easily fit in space. The most adaptive of all disciplines of Arts, an artist is one who can not only easily fit into existing spaces, but also start opportunities through their skill-sets.
If following the traditional route as a creative practitioner with their individual art practice, an artist has the ability to create art that can inspire, motivate, and create change. A role of great value in today’s day and age, we train artists to be thinkers, as people who can articulate, converse, and provoke people to think about the pressing issues, allowing them to represent their community nationally and internationally.
Alternately, as artists, one can easily fit into a role of an academician or curator, being able to employ one’s theoretical learning to the field of archiving, preserving, and showcasing art. At the same time, due to our strong theoretical based approach, they can easily take their skills towards the direction of art writing.
Being observers and documenters, through the digital skills of photography, painting, creating works of film and animation, an artist is one who can also easily walk down the path of documentation, journalism, as illustrators or animators, or heading down to the film industry. Careers as a performer, actor, manager, conservators, archivists, cultural representatives and decision makers in arts – the possibilities are endless. All these skills can be employed to evolve into entrepreneurs and either starting an individual business or fitting into existing spaces. Our aim is to develop each individual’s personal strengths and guide them towards the best direction borne from their own interest.