The winner of The Anjool Maldé Award in the BA (Hons) Commercial Photography category is graduate Rachael Draper! She won this award because she “has created something rooted in the familiar language of marketing and consumerism in her work, but unexpectedly theatrical and beguiling. She draws us in to a non-threatening scene, dazzled by drapery, colour and movement. There we discover that life is not so simple, there are precursors and consequences, illuminating the crucial issue of unsustainable consumerism.”

The award is from the The Anjool Maldé Memorial Trust, a UK registered charity, which was set up to keep alive Anjool’s legacy of a kindred and enlivened spirit, that lit up so many lives and inspired and helped others to make most of their talents. The Photography Award is an exciting addition to the current memorial awards already in place in his name and have quickly grown in prestige and have become highly coveted marks of honour with the beneficiaries going on to achieve higher and greater things.

Read on to find out more about our award winner:

Why did you choose to study at The Northern School of Art?

I chose to study here because I was local and it was a good cost of living. It also had a course I wanted to do, as commercial photography is a bit more niche.

What is your favourite memory of studying with us?

My favourite memory is going to Berlin with the school and getting to know my tutors beyond the classroom.

What are your next steps?

I am currently the visitor experience manager at the Royal Navy museum in Hartlepool and have been accepted for my masters in creative and cultural management at Northumbria.

What is your advice to future students?

My advice would be to don’t be too critical of your work and coming to uni gives confidence. It’s invaluable even as a mature student.

If you are interested in studying photography at degree level look no further! Find out more here.