14 POSTGRADUATE MATTERS PhD Graduation: The department has had its first PhD student graduate this year. Maria van Os, who was supervised by our former colleague, Dr Adrie Haese, and co-supervised by Prof Deirdre Pretorius, has graduated. She made a beautiful picture book as a part of her study. Several of our MA candidates have graduated as well. STAFF Internationalisation: Prof Deirdre Pretorius went to Brighton, where she presented several talks to the university’s postgraduate students. Staff Exhibition: All five members of the Graphic Design Department participated in the FADA staff exhibition earlier this year. Christa van Zyl’s piece was concerned with the invisible care invested into students as an educator. Prof Deirdre Pretorius made an artists’ book of self-portraits exploring the relationship between oil painting and generative AI. Reshma Maharajh made an installation piece that grapples with cultural identity, rites of passage and the role of womanhood. Ilhaam Khan and Neil Badenhorst collaborated on an installation piece that was a sign of solidarity with Gaza and the Palestinian people. Visual Redress Book: Following their conference paper last year at Visual Redress, Prof Deirdre Pretorius and Ilhaam Khan have written a book chapter regarding university hostel branding in South Africa. Everything Under the Sun: Lecturer Neil Badenhorst was one of the illustrators who worked on the second volume of Everything Under the Sun, a nonfiction children’s book for Ladybird UK, in which children’s questions from around the world are answered by various experts. Duo: Lecturer Neil Badenhorst will be exhibiting in a duo exhibition at Gallery 2 at the start of November, alongside UX designer and artist Jané Celliers. The exhibition interrogates queer space, alienation from traditional spaces, and queer rites of passage. Fundraising Exhibition: Lecturers Ilhaam Khan and Neil Badenhorst (as well as Ruth Sacks from Visual Arts) participated in an exhibition at the Desmond and Leah Tutu foundation, titled Palestine will soon be Free, from the River to the Sea. The proceeds from the exhibition will go towards colouring books and stationery for schools in need within South Africa, and towards distribution of the colouring book by Nathi Ngubane, of which 100% of the proceeds go towards the Palestinian cause.
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