Photo of Edward

Edward

"I'm now now a full-time art critic, and I also edit a bilingual art magazine in China. It’s not too far-fetched to say that none of this would have happened if I hadn’t gone to Goldsmiths."

Main details

Year graduated 2007
Department Art
Country United Kingdom

"I think I originally chose to come to Goldsmiths because of its reputation – its recent history as being where many of the YBAs attended, but also (on a personal note) as it had been involved in the ‘Occupation for Education’ in 1993 while I was doing my BA at Middlesex University. A group from our student union visited Goldsmiths (who were also in occupation) in ‘solidarity’ and I tagged along. I guess I had good memories!

After Middlesex I dropped out of the arts and ended up in Cambridge, working as a designer. But I got frustrated with that and quit my job to come back and – this time – study art history at Goldsmiths. I wanted to get more knowledge of the theory behind the art and develop my writing – something which I was just realising was what I wanted to be doing full-time.

The course in general, and our professor Astrid Schmetterling in particular, really pushed me beyond my limits of learning and writing. In that one year I was forced to really strive for a very high level. I don’t think I really got anywhere close to fulfilling those possibilities, but I was set up with material that I could develop and build on for years to come.

Although there were only eight people on the course, they came from very diverse backgrounds, many from abroad. One lady was from China, and I subsequently married her after we graduated in 2007. Two weeks after getting married, we left for Beijing to settle and open a gallery, and I’ve been there ever since!

In 2009 we closed the gallery and from then on I’ve concentrated on writing. I’m now a full-time art critic, writing for local and international magazines and websites. I am particularly interested in alternative practices in art, process-based and socially aware work, which is particularly significant in the Chinese environment. I also edit a bilingual art magazine in China, and will be putting what I've learned into some curated shows this year. It’s not too far-fetched to say that none of this would have happened if I hadn’t gone to Goldsmiths."

Around the university