ART, PAINTING & SCULPTURE

Fine Art

Fine Art begins with investigating what being an artist can mean. You work from your own artistic practice in painting or sculpture and move freely between other media and art disciplines: from painting, photography, and video to performance, sculpture, and interactive media. Making, thinking, and reflecting go hand in hand. You investigate societal, cultural, and political questions, and develop your own artistic position and visual language from there. The room to experiment, to doubt, and to discover new directions is central. In this way, you develop into an independent artist who not only makes artistic work, but also gives meaning to the world from your own perspective. Our lecturers are artists who all work from their own professional practice. They encourage you in making well-considered choices and guide you into your future professional field.

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"The greatest wealth is the freedom of making."

Patrick Mangnus, Head of Programme Fine Art

Fine Art

What You Do

As a future artist, you learn to deploy your qualities as a creative thinker to show or clarify your vision or your story. Our lecturers/artists, who all work from their own professional practice, stimulate you in making well-considered choices and guide you into your future professional field. Individual guidance, group discussions, and debates ensure that you learn to substantiate your opinions and reflect critically on your own work and that of others.

In addition, our curriculum focuses on developing your technical skills, art theory, art history, and preparation for professional practice. Moreover, during your studies you broaden your worldview by visiting exhibitions and participating in excursions (including abroad), exchanges, and internships. In Clinics and Labs, you get to know new areas of practice within contemporary art.

A broad palette

Photography, painting, video, drawing, performance, sculpture, and interactive media.

Diverse environments

Museums, galleries, art fairs, public space, theatre, education, and the business sector.

Critical & autonomous

You learn to look at processes differently and develop the ability to think critically and autonomously.

Fine Art

How You Study

At AKI, your personal development is central. You are mentored by lecturer-artists with their own practices, who challenge you to make well-considered choices and investigate your position in the contemporary art field. Grounded in two starting points — Painting and All Space & Sculpture — you develop your own visual language and explore the possibilities of different media, from traditional techniques to new digital and interactive forms.

Your own artistic identity

You develop your position as an independent visual artist, with your own vision and way of working.

Looking at processes differently

You learn to view processes from a different perspective and develop critical and autonomous thinking skills.

Broadly applicable

You learn to build bridges between art and business, or art and politics.

Fine Art

Student Work

Work by Fine Art students, as a permanent collection.

FINE ART

Projects

Throughout all years of the study, we regularly collaborate on the most diverse projects for external clients.

FINE ART

Curriculum

Year 1 – Experiment & Inspiration

Orientation year in which you get to know disciplines such as painting, drawing, photography, printmaking, spatial work, and new media, alongside art theory and academic skills. At the end, you choose a starting point: Painting or All Space & Sculpture.

Year 2 – Studio Practice & Projects

Experimentation, research, and formulating your own questions. You work in small groups and are mentored by at least three lecturers. Semester assessments evaluate studio practice, ArtLabs, and technical skills.

Year 3 – Deepening & Portfolio

Further deepening in your discipline, independence, and developing your own practice programme. Opportunities for international exchange, internships, or self-directed projects.

Year 4 – Research & Graduation

You present your final graduation work in a portfolio and exhibition, and write a supervised theoretical research paper. The programme prepares you for professional practice and networking with collectors, gallery owners, and exhibition curators. You present your graduation project during the AKI ArtEZ Finals exhibition.

Fine Art

Subjects and themes

  • Painting
  • All Space & Sculpture
  • Drawing & Graphic Arts
  • Art Theory & History
  • Writing Academy
  • ArtLabs
  • Learning Community
Two people stand beside a fabric-and-frame installation in a tall grassy meadow.
Fine Art

Practical information

Everything you need to know to choose your programme and apply.

4 years

Full-time bachelor programme / Dutch or English

Degree

Higher professional education bachelor degree (HBO-bachelor)

Location

Enschede

Admission

Portfolio and admissions interview

Ready to take the next step?

Apply now, visit us during an open day, or get in touch directly with our Educational Office.

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