Maria Kyprianou

I work with movement and colour.

Music plays and important role in my work, mainly because of my experience and background with classical music. I enjoy creating visual interpretations of musical sounds. The bass, the rhythm and the melody of a song is what I try to illustrate visually using colour combinations and abstract shapes. I find a strong connection between musical and visual composition, the variety of mixtures and the effects you can get.

I’ve been directing video clips during the past two years, which includes two music video clips, one advert for the BBC’s 75^th anniversary and one promotional video clip for the positive effects of 40’s music to the listeners. This gave me a lot of confidence when it comes to manipulating the camera. Zooming, focusing, changing angles, blinking the lights are some of the methods I became accustomed with in order to communicate a message, whether that is the lyrics of a song or company logo. 

I’ve always enjoyed working in the studio. Interacting with people on a regular basis motivates and excites me. I always try to keep an open mind when it comes to learning new methods that are not necessarily related to the world of ‘Illustration’. During the past two years, I’ve been working with Stop Motion Animation, Frame by Frame Animation, Schlieren photography, Cyanotype Photohraphy and Drawn-on-Film Animation.

Music Video I made for my 2^nd year university project. Stop Motion animation, music by Magnetic Man – Getting Nowhere.

Here’s a sneak peak of my music video for the Final Degree Show on the 7^th of June. Music by the XX – Heart Skipped a Beat

I’ve been taking part in the Art and Science Collaborative Project, BROADVISION 2012.                                        The project gave me the opportunity to get to know the science disciplines of the university, interact with different people and use various facilities including imaging science, photography etc and I’m proud to say that I now know how to use the microscope! My final work is based on colour patterns coming from printing ink pixels under the microscope.

After I graduate I hope to continue developing my moving image. I’d like to collaborate with musicians and photographers to create new ways of experiencing music visually and gain more experience and technical skills in animation. 

Check out more of my work HERE.

Katharina Nyilas

Here's an article and few images from Katharina Nyilas (known as Katti amongst the studio).  I've had exhibitions with Katti before, she even organised one which we did together, back in February at East Gallery.  Katti's work is based around beautiful drawings of nature but with some upsetting literally trapping the content of her prints for example, a few months back she drew sea turtles appearing to be drifting in the ocean but entangled in rope and litter.

My Illustration is often based on environmental themes, as raising important issues within my work motivates and inspires my practice. This includes my latest work based around unsustainable fishing methods and the effects it has had upon our ocean.

Printing onto fabric has enabled my illustrations to take a physical form, which adds another element and meaning to my work. The process has enabled me to make a statement about issues through clothing, make work that serves as an everyday reminder to care for the environment, and add to the meaning of the message through the medium it is being conveyed.

1. Choose a noun, adjective and verb that best describes your work.

Nature, Analytical, Inquire.

2. Have you done any work outside of university?

I have carried out a couple of work placements. These were at Bray Leino advertising and design agency and at a props department at Shepperton film studios. I have also carried out a freelance job for a theatre production about the slave trade and organized an exhibition at East Gallery, Feb 2012.

3. What is your preferred working enviroment? (studio, home, music, outside?)

If I am drawing for first hand research I prefer to work on site to capture the atmosphere and really understand the subject. However this isn’t always easy in buisy places, so I sometimes prefer to take my digital camera and work from photographs in a quiet area of the studio, or at my desk at home. I find noise disturbing when I need to concentrate!

4. Where in London is your favourite gallery and why? Where was the last exhibition you went to and what did you think of it?

I don’t have a favourite gallery. I try to go to a different one every time I go to an exhibition, so that I am not exposed to the same kind of art every time. I want to be surprised and keep being inspired so like to have as open a mind as possible.

The last exhibition I went to was Yayoi Kusama at the Tate Modern. I have been inspired by her work since I studied fine art at college and it definitely lived up to my expectations. The environments Kusama makes to create a different reality are the most intriguing to me and something which I admire in her work.

5. What's does your next project entail?

I am on the search for a work placement that incorporates surface pattern design to expand my knowledge and enable me to fulfill possible future work requirements.

Katti will be exhibiting in the Broad Vision exhibition Inspired by... and IDENTITY 2012 where samples of clothing, prints and scarfs are available to purchase from our shop!

Broadvision 2012

The Broad Vision art/science programme offers students across the university a range of opportunities for art/science collaborative research and interdisciplinary learning. Since its inception in 2010 the programme has produced exhibitions, published books and articles, and presentations at conferences, festivals and symposiums.


Some of Westminster Illustration took part in this last year and this year.  It was great fun and gave us the chance to experiment and learn how art and science can be combined whether it may be for practical use or in a way to express and understand science in more creative way.


Since it began two years ago, one of our class mates Mell Fisher has been appointed Student Facilitator and will be going to the Subtle Technology Festival in Toronto where she will be presenting Broad Vision and herself as an artist.  Good Luck!


Below are a few pieces of Mel's work where she has explored fractal patterns in her drawings of urchins and transferred them onto canvas, turning them into 3D sculptures as well as the invitation to the Broad Vision 2012 Private View (downloadable pdf available HERE.)

Initial research drawings

Infinite Growth in Fractal Forms