Illustration by Himarni Brownsword As the ongoing epidemic of coronavirus has been internationally felt, the British government and public wavered between two extreme sentiments: war-time effort or denial of the pressing reality. New measures have been announced to limit non-essential contact and unnecessary travel in order to slow the spread of the outbreak in Britain as the global death toll increases. UK citizens (and Courtauld students) are experiencing the effects of the

Banner of the Picasso and Paper exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London (25 January – 13 April 2020) (Image by Ellie Perry) This is not the first large scale Picasso exhibition to come to London. 47 years after his death the artist remains one of the most loved and sought-after artists of the modern world. The amount of people attending the latest showcase of the infamous artist’s work also suggests it certainly won’t be the last. This year the Royal Academy has curat

Kamran Sajid | Issue 22 'Museion' we are chameleons varnished in red, white and blue our varnish brands us in forests and deserts but in the harsh light of the concrete factory we are only green our colours mix and brawl in the sky leaving our horizons foggy the sky is speaking to us in our mother tongue why must our horizons be foggy? oh, our homes are brighter now (!) we have cake in our cupboards (!) well, the harsh light blinds us the cake leaves us bloated we’re still vi

Illustration by Rebecca Marks A long corridor with windows on one side and a row of uncomfortable plastic chairs. I look at my watch, which says I have been sitting in the same spot for the past two hours. I wonder how many more I have left. The lunch and coffee I had earlier are just a faint memory now. I have been entertaining myself reading Regarding The Pains of Others by Susan Sontag and thinking if she ever considered writing about the pain caused by bureaucracy. Maybe

Illustration by Himarni Brownsword The major gallery shows in London broadly shape culture and taste, meanwhile smaller events are not given the same value but are equally as important. Art on a community-scale and experimental events have always had a greater impact on me than any exhibition at the Tate or Royal Academy, and I have found greater inspiration at live events or club nights than with a beautiful sculpture or painting. Those institutions are beginning to appeal m

The Turkish-born designer Bora Aksu, who has built up a loyal following for his romantic and fanciful dresses, has returned to London Fashion Week for the fourteenth time. His latest collection to debut continued this whimsy legacy as he drew inspiration from the revolutionary abstract artist Hilma af Klint. Illustration by Grace Han Born in Sweden in 1862, Klint developed an early interest in painting and drawing before going on to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in

Illustration by Vitoria Mendes I’ve told myself thus far that I am finding myself. ‘I should have taken a gap year to find myself’, ‘I’m just figuring out who I am’. Truth is, I think that is a narrative that will follow me through my life, and I have found peace with that. Growing up, I was the quiet one. Coming from a family of 18 cousins on one side, I learned many things. I learned that it is in fact essential to book a restaurant when your family comes to stay, because p

Illustration by Grace Han ​The UCU and Senior Management Q&A held Thursday, 13 February felt a lot like divorce court. Both were part of an elaborate game of He said, She said. Neither was willing to admit any flaw or failure. And nobody was paying much attention to anything the “kids” had to say. From this student’s point of view, two key questions went unaddressed, even though they were asked several times, in several different ways: Will the strike be effective? Most stud

Artwork of the Month | March Kira Gurmail-Kaufmann I’ve always been drawn to the nude body in a 'matter of fact' way. It still surprises me that in a life drawing class I look at the model in such a non-judgemental, accepting way. Societal expectations and criticisms all go out the window. At first, I stuck to line drawing as it reflected this simplicity of approach. But recently, I’ve felt a growing desire to add colour and life to these images, to paint not just the form, b