A talented art student from Ron Dearing UTC has been selected from hundreds of entrants to have his work showcased at a prestigious exhibition in London.
Ceramicist Matthew Bestley has beaten off competition from over 600 entrants to secure a spot at the University of Arts London (UAL) Origins Creatives Exhibition 2026.
Taking place at the Mall Galleries, just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace in central London, the exhibition showcases emerging young artists featuring live music performances, short films, groundbreaking artwork, inspiring fashion pieces and much more.
Matthew’s installation, titled Encounter features a series of ceramic sculptures which aim to inspire people to consider how we interact with space and sculpture. Visitors are encouraged to explore the installation whilst taking in the sculptures from different angles.
Crediting sculptor Barbara Hepworth as his main inspiration, Matthew says his exhibit is meant to feel almost human in the ways the sculptures interact with each other, and the space.
Matthew’s work caught the attention of UAL Awarding Body’s curator, Calum Hall, after being entered for consideration by his teachers at Ron Dearing, with Calum describing the overarching theme of the exhibition as “Unapologetic, undivided and unbound”.
Matthew travelled to the capital this week to attend the exhibition with his family, visiting the private opening night and the four-day public opening.
He said: “I’m really excited to have my work featured in the Origins Creatives Exhibition. It’s really given me a confidence boost and spurred me on to continue with my dream of pursuing this as a career.
“There is still a bit of a stigma around pursuing a career in the arts and the challenges that come with it, but being selected from hundreds of entries has really reassured me that my work is good enough and this is something worth pursuing.”
After completing A-Levels in Fine Art, 3D Design and Graphics at Ron Dearing, Matthew progressed onto the school’s Foundation Art course, and will be spreading his wings in September, moving to London to study an undergraduate degree in Ceramic Design at University of the Arts London’s world-renowned arts and design college, Central Saint Martins.
He said: “If it wasn’t for Ron Dearing, I probably wouldn’t have discovered ceramics, and I might be on a completely different path. Not many other schools and colleges allow students to experiment with so many different creative specialisms, and the staff at Ron Dearing really go above and beyond to support student’s passions and ambitions which has helped me to get where I am now.
“The thing I’m looking forward to most about moving to London and starting my degree is being surrounded by so much art, creativity and inspiration.
“There really is no better university for ceramics, so I’m really looking forward to having access to the very best equipment and materials to really take my work up to the next level.”