Gibraltarian student to launch exhibition in Nottingham
By Eyleen Gomez
Gibraltarian student Jacqima Rios at Nottingham Trent university will launch her exhibition ‘The Inner Child’ this Friday on Instagram Live.
Her piece forms part of the ‘Great Escape’ a series of exhibitions and events by second year students from Nottingham Trent University’s Fine Art course.
Over the space of two weeks Nottingham’s One Thoresby Street’s multiple galleries and project spaces will be taken over by a dozen different groups, bringing together a wide range of subjects, mediums and interests in one vibrant programme.
The Inner Child is one of the exhibitions.
“Fuel your nostalgia with ‘The Inner Child’, a childlike environment for your inner self, utilising playful activity and mindfulness. A swing is at the centre fold of our childhood, a tool for carefree enjoyment, and how best to represent ‘The Inner Child’ than by using this motif. Additionally, this childlike activity is paired with a series of digitally painted landscapes imitating the peaceful atmosphere once found in our childhoods,” Miss Rios said.
The Inner Child is a project Miss Rios is working on with Megan Thompson and is the result of having to come up with a project for their second year at University Public exhibition.
They both jumbled ideas around and hence The Inner Child was created.
Miss Rios credits her former Gibraltar College teacher Fernando Gomez with introducing her to art and speaks highly of him.
“I started in about 2014 I decided to go back into school and I did art in the college and I did really well and I got close with my art teacher and I still talk to him to this day and I still go see them in the college. We have a really good bond and he has been there for me and supported my art and given me equipment if I have ever needed it and I think if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here [at university],” she said.
Music is a big inspiration to her, in particular Korean pop music known as K-pop.
“Music plays a big role. I really like listening to music that is not in English so Korean music because I find that their music videos are very bright and colourful and very out there rather than normal ones that everyone sees and I think that is inspiring as well,” she told the Chronicle.
“I would also say that mental health issues inspire me as they are things that are important to me.”
“I try to tackle that through my art. When I was growing up I suffered a fair bit myself through those things and I am lucky enough to have art to be able to express myself but I know that others do not have that opportunity.”
“I have had my fall outs with art myself. I have had moments where I don’t want to pick up a pencil or I just don’t like it anymore and I know that struggle of falling out of love with something.”
She also likes to base her art from listening to other people’s stories and describes her relationship with art as much better now.
“I think, it has definitely saved my life at some point,” she said.
“I don’t even think I would have been at university if it was not for art.”
One of her favourite mediums to create art is acrylic paint but she is open to using anything and has built tables and even a swing in the process.
Next year will be her last year at Nottingham Trent and following her degree she wishes to study for a masters in Art Therapy and help children, adults or prisoners deal with emotions as they can be hard to talk about at times. At present she is looking at studying for this in Scotland and Derby.
She will be back in Gibraltar in June and hopes to hold an exhibition while on the Rock.
Check out theinnerchild.co.uk and their Instagram account
@theinnerchildexhibition for more information.
