V&A Award for Laura

Laura Sheppard of Cardington has recently won a prestigious award, winning the ‘Words and Images’ category of the 2010 ‘Inspired by’ Exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Laura’s inspiration came from ceramics and textiles seen in the China Rooms, some depicting animals, and others with intricate patterns akin to those that Laura so much loves to draw.

“I’ve always been fascinated by Chinese design and had decided on the idea of making a paper Chinese dragon similar to those I had played with as a child,” said Laura. “Upon revisiting the V&A though, I found several animal designs, and so the idea of the Zodiac animals evolved.”

The curator described Laura’s entry as highly original in its design and beautifully crafted, showing hours of work and love in the intricate illustration. It was also remarked upon that in spite of taking her inspiration from a great range of objects, she had not let anything stand in the way of her own imagination, resulting in a great sense of fun.

Accepting her prize, Laura said that since moving to London and going to Chelsea College of Art and Design, she truly had been inspired by the wonderful sights and all that the capital offered her. She went on to say it was very different from the tiny village in Shropshire that she had come from with its thirty-odd houses and lots of sheep and cows!!

However those childhood surroundings, with their calm and tranquil beauty, had enabled her creative style to develop and flourish. Thanks were given to her parents and family for the vibrant childhood home they had given her and the V&A for the inspiration it had given her and countless others.

Laura’s work can be seen at the ‘Inspired by’ Exhibition in the V&A Museum South Kensington until Nov.21^st 2010 and at www.Laurasheppard.co.uk

You can also see more of her work on her page on the Cardington website.