Gabriel Camelo Ramirez studied MA Fashion Artefact at LCF. He features here as part of the LCFMA17 Graduate Spotlight series, where he talks to us about his time at LCF, why he decided to take this course and what his plans for the future are.
My final collection… is called Metamorphosis of the Self. It’s the result of a personal journey during the development of my MA, and the re-encounter between my roots as a leather bag maker, my previous studies in art and design, my deep interests in materiality, and new perspectives around human morphology. It’s a collection of six pieces, that show the evolution of my process.
I explored the relationship between wood and leather, as a way to express aesthetic and conceptual elements such as dynamism, change, movement, bio-morphic shapes, organic, deconstruction, and fragmentation; all of these combined form the central concept of metamorphosis.
Before LCF… I did a BA in Fine Art and another BA in Design, from Universidad de los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia. I also studied Leather Goods Pattern Making, at Arsutoria School in Milan.
My top tips for new students…
- The MA is mainly self-directed, so you are the one who has control to get the most out of it. Allow yourself to be constant, curious, courageous, push yourself to break boundaries, read as much as you can, have conversations with other creatives, and allow time to yourself to be self-reflective.
- Take advantage of the workshops, and take every single opportunity to learn about new techniques, new machinery, and new technology from the technical staff.
- Enjoy London, and its creative and cultural life – the cultural offer here is priceless!
I chose LCF… because of the MA Fashion Artefact course. It is a course that combines very high standards of creativity, manufacturing and design thinking. Secondly, it’s a making course – a course to get your hands dirty and push yourself to create. Thirdly, I chose LCF because it is recognised globally as a place for the most talented and original creatives around the world.
The highlight… for me was the time in the studio – it was my second home. I went there every single day during my MA. I really enjoyed being in contact with the materials and to be able to be fully immersed in a creative atmosphere. Another highlight was the conversations about our studio practice with my colleagues, during our coffee breaks.
The most challenging part… was to adapt myself to the workshop hours, which were open just until 7 pm or sometimes 5pm, and sometimes the best ideas happen just when it’s time to leave!
The best thing about London… is the cultural life. The opportunity to have access to the most amazing collections of art for free, and to be able to see what’s new in the cultural scene from every part of the world, is simply amazing.
My work in a few words… craftsmanship, sculptures, metamorphosis, body, materiality.
My biggest inspiration… is my surroundings, I create looking the whole picture of the world.
My future plans for now are in Colombia… I am going back to my country to keep growing as an artist and keep spreading the legacy of the artefact family. The course helped me to re-encounter my creative voice, and to empower myself to keep creating aesthetic projects.
LCF is moving to Stratford… I hope there will be enough space for each student, and improve the workshops and their equipment. I hope that the mysticism of a building like Golden Lane will be replaced for new technologies and better facilities.
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