Rhiannon Salisbury

MA Fine Art student Rhiannon gained a massive confidence boost when she was awarded The John Hoyland Scholarship. Rhiannon explains: “It’s hard to be a successful artist, especially when you’re an emerging student and you’re at the beginning of your career; being awarded a scholarship is like someone telling you that they believe in you and your art, which helps significantly.”

The John Hoyland Scholarship was established by the John Hoyland Trust in memory of artist and former staff member John Hoyland. John was a former lecturer at Chelsea College of Arts and Central Saint Martins, and in 1965 he led Chelsea’s first nationally recognised Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art. “This scholarship has given me the opportunity to pursue my Masters Degree and has allowed me to focus solely on my artistic practice, without being financially crippled,” Rhiannon says.

Rhiannon recently attended The Benefactors’ Reception at London College of Communication, an annual event that brings together scholarship recipients and donors. “I had the opportunity to meet Beverley Heath-Hoyland, which was a great privilege. It was very meaningful to thank her in person for her support and generosity; meeting Beverley made the scholarship even more meaningful to me.”

In her own words, Rhiannon’s paintings: “explore the boundaries between real and fictional experiences, and the blurry line between the conscious and unconscious mind.” One of her recent paintings was inspired by a research trip to a microbiology department. “I used microscopes to examine leaves and small creatures. I then reinterpreted that into my own crazy world of colour, fantasy, glitter, and 90s nostalgia.”

Find out more:

• Rhiannon's website
• Rhiannon's page on Facebook 
• Twitter - @rhiannonymous