Fanshawe fine art grads showcase final exhibit at TAP as program faces suspension

The TAP Centre for Creativity is filled with ambitious, deeply personal work from Fanshawe College’s graduating fine art students, but this year’s exhibition comes with a more somber tone.

The show Kaleidoscope features 15 students from the Fine Art Advanced Diploma program, which has been running since 1969. The program was among 40 offerings suspended by the college last year as part of a cost-cutting strategy after the federal government put a cap on international student permits. There will be one final class expected next year.

For third-year student Meggi Prym Kamsataya, the exhibit is a chance to present deeply personal work shaped by her time in the program since she arrived from Thailand in 2024.

One of her mixed-media pieces, inspired by Thai temple murals, weaves together multiple scenes using print on fabric and soft sculpture.

“It represents the journey of girlhood to become a woman… the loss and pain and beauty in it,” said Kamsataya, adding her artistic direction changed significantly while studying at Fanshawe.

“I thought that I’m going to do painting,” she said. “But when I started the program… I loved printmaking, so now my direction has completely changed.”

Kamsataya’s work combines printmaking and soft sculpture to explore themes of feminism, transformation and expectations placed on women.

Ella Hunking, also in her third year, takes a different approach, building detailed, textured environments from discarded materials.

“My artwork kind of goes around man-made disasters, and how they’re kind of overlooked,” said Hunking. “I like to use materials to create these gross, grimy environments.”

Hunking said her work evolved from more personal themes into immersive, almost cinematic pieces.

“My artwork has changed drastically,” she said since starting the program at Fanshawe. “I switched completely to making my own environments, almost like prop or set designs.”

Both students said the program gave them the space to experiment, something they fear will be lost if the program is not saved.

“I was so devastated, it was just so heartbreaking,” Hunking said about the suspension of the Fine Art program. “There’s so many artists that are not going to be able to have that experience.”

Kamsataya, an international student, said the closure could have broader impacts.

“I feel really disappointed,” she said. “The reason why I came here was that I wanted to study fine art… it’s not gonna have any opportunity for other people anymore.”

Despite that uncertainty, both students hope the public will come out to support the exhibit, which is on at TAP until April 4.

“I hope so many people come out just to celebrate with us,” said Hunking.

The exhibition continues at the TAP Centre for Creativity at 203 Dundas St., with a public reception on Saturday, March 28, from 7 to 9 p.m. The students will also be on hand for Art Crawl Thursdays at the gallery on Thursday, April 2, from 5 to 8 p.m.