Writtle College postgraduate shortlisted for prestigious garden design student award

A Writtle College postgraduate has been shortlisted for a major student award for her garden design which aims to support those facing mental health issues.
 
Jiyoung Kim, who is studying for an MA Garden Design, has been shortlisted for the Student Award from the Society of Garden Designers - the only professional association for garden designers in the UK.
 
The 32-year-old, from South Korea, was shortlisted alongside five other students and will find out on 30 January 2015 whether she has won the accolade.
 
She said: “I still cannot believe that I am a finalist for such a major award; it has certainly boosted my confidence and I will focus on my design work even harder than before.
 
“My shortlisted design was a huge challenge for me as I approached a deep subject by touching on philosophy and contemplation, aiming to give comfort and to help people suffering from mental health issues.”
 
Jiyoung’s garden design, called Deep Simplicity, represents the notion that underlying all of life’s chaos is a simple order based on Heidegger’s philosophy that humans should be aware of life and death.
 
“Humans can regain the simple truth of life through deep thought and contemplation, even though we may lose our direction in life,” she explains.
 
“The infinity symbol within the design is to promote hope and order in people’s minds; a metaphor of infinite thoughts and coexistence with other living creatures. This garden is proposed as a place for finding the true nature of existence, accomplished through experiences of walking and contemplating.”
 
The judging panel included renowned garden designers Sarah Eberle and Philippa O'Brien as well as Arabella St. John Parker, from Homes & Gardens magazine. The panel was looking for outstanding design skills and, importantly, a clear demonstration of an understanding of the brief provided for the project.
 
The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at the London's Millennium Gloucester Hotel.
Dr Saruhan Mosler, Jiyoung’s MA dissertation supervisor, congratulated her, saying: “We congratulate Jiyoung on her success with the project. Jiyoung worked hard on this challenging subject that was also part of her MA Garden Design dissertation.

“Competitions offer an excellent opportunity to students as they help them to build their portfolio and gain experience within the design industry.”

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