Product Design students at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland are preparing for Gray’s School of Art Degree Show 2010 with a diverse range of creations which show that their final year projects are about much more than making the grade.
Ben Veera (28), who is originally from Sri Lanka and lived in London for a number of years before moving to Aberdeen, has focused his project on applying design to reduce the trade of animal curios. He has centred on shark teeth, with access to real examples through his girlfriend who is studying marine biology.
He himself has an interest in creatures such as sharks, crocodiles and dinosaurs and saw this growing trade as an important issue that he wanted to explore further. Ben said: “I set up an online survey to find out why people enjoy buying these sorts of items. This highlighted that size is important, along with materials that create interest.
I was concerned about the loop holes that allow for this trade to take place and decided to try and develop an alternative. It wouldn’t satisfy everyone but I think my product would help to curb this worsening problem.”
Ben has developed fake shark teeth, making them unique and desirable by basing them on the larger prehistoric teeth he came across through his research. He has made them in all sizes using porcelain, glass and metal and believes that these will appeal to different niche markets.
Gray’s School of Art Degree Show 2010, sponsored by BP, opened on June 18 and is open to the public until June 26. For more information, visit:www.rgu.ac.uk/degreeshow. |
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