The final year students studying fine art at Oxford Brookes University will be holding their degree show Hoi Polloi, a summative exhibition of their artwork as a collective. ‘Hoi Polloi' roughly translates to ‘the masses’ or ‘the common people’. In the sense, the exhibition is centred around a group of creative individuals coming together to showcase their finest artwork, encapsulating three to five years’ worth of hard work and ever-developing artistic practices. Spanning the Glass Tank gallery and the Richard Hamilton Building, you will be given an insight into some of the newest emerging artists.

Hoi Polloi will transport you out of the gallery space, whether into outer space or delve into familiar locations and situations; revealing the deep secrets and complex theories on what it means to be human; questioning identity, both from the past and present. Hoi Polloi offers something for all audiences, covering a huge range of themes in an exciting range of innovative and traditional mediums. The work takes shape in many different forms, from figurative painting and embroidery to live performance and sound art, all brought together into one large feast for the senses. You will see installations and questioning works which will immerse the audience in digital age struggles and ancestral familiarities. Performance pieces will challenge art world normalities and place the work off the gallery wall. Whether the work is raising big, existential questions or focusing in on the everyday moments in our lives, the work in this exhibition is sure to get audiences thinking. The degree show marks an exciting change in over thirty art student’s lives, as a final chapter to their degree. Celebrating all of their achievements, Hoi Polloi aims to demonstrate the best of their abilities in the transition from student to practising artist.

An events programme will run from Saturday 12th - Thursday 18th May. This will feature artist talks, workshops and tours, as well as a closing night event on the final day of the show.

Hoi Polloi is independently fundraised by the final year fine art students of Oxford Brookes University and kindly supported by the Glass Tank Gallery.