Nawal came to Cadmium while studying for an Art & Design Foundation Diploma at a sixth form college in London. She was overwhelmed by the workload, had no portfolio, and did not know how to shape her ideas into resolved Fine Art work. She had always wanted to become an artist and curator. Some of the artists she admired had studied at Goldsmiths, and she hoped she might one day follow the same path, but she had no clear way of getting there.

Over the course of a year, through our Portfolio & Admissions Mentorship, we built her portfolio from scratch. We refined individual projects, pushed her ideas further, and edited the work carefully so it felt intentional rather than rushed. As her thinking deepened, her confidence grew and the work began to reflect the level expected for competitive Fine Art degrees.

Nawal was accepted onto her first-choice course: BA Fine Art & Art History at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she is now developing her practice.