Vanessa Wood

Throughout my time at VCA, my practice has centred on themes of family, community, and connectedness, often drawing directly from my experiences with my student cohort. These themes have been a consistent thread in my development as an artist.

This installation features watercolour portraits of the nineteen students remaining in my third-year cohort, from an original group of approximately twenty-five. Each portrait is placed on a chair, arranged in a circle—a reference to our weekly meetings where we planned a cohort wedding show. This circle represents a moment of shared purpose, emotional closeness, and unity.

The work is both a personal reflection and an archival gesture—an attempt to honour and preserve a collective experience of belonging.