IT was an exciting night for the students and lecturers of PJ College of Art and Design as they joined hands to produce their second annual exhibition entitled “Beautiful, Wonderful Nature”.

The designs, mostly done by first year students, reflected the interaction of the world with nature with an emphasis on environment conservation efforts.

With the world’s current focus on environmental issues, the college’s head of design foundation Angelina Chong decided that this was the right time to expose the students to the theme.

Symbolic: Ben Niam (right) and William Chong officiating at the opening of the exhibition.

“I was curating for an art show with Global Environment Centre last year (Arts & Earth) where they focused on issues of nature and from then it struck me that I needed to get my students involved in current issues,” Chong explained.

Other than the exhibition, the college also got 33 of their students to work with the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) to produce 26 packaging and design which MNS would use for their campaign.

Three other groups will be participating in the 13th Malaysian Society of Interior Designers Competition in the conservation section.

The student designers used all kinds of mediums and materials to produce paintings, drawings, packaging designs and photography for the exhibition.

However, due to the lack of time, the architecture students could not participate in the exhibition.

“They are working on building shelters made out of natural materials like recycled newspaper, recycled polystyrene, bamboo, mud brick and anything that can be re-used.

“This is a great idea because it could be the alternative of the future for the environment,” Chong said.

He added that some students enrolled in the college with zero technical knowledge but with a passion to make it in design.

“Passion precedes everything else. There are some students who couldn’t even draw but look at them now, their artworks are on display,” she said.

The exhibition is supported by Malaysian Nature Society, Faber Castell, Borders, Emo, JC Wong and the staff of the college.