Fine Art Students put their design skills to the test to create new sculpture for London Kebony announces an exciting partnership with the University of East London (UEL). Twenty innovative, experimental and materials-led Fine Art students have been provided with an opportunity to examine and discover the inherent qualities of Kebony, enabling them to develop their own proposition for a sculpture. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to bring their ideas to life in a three-dimensional way. A shortlist of five students will be selected to create a small model of their proposal, before presenting to a judging panel of highly acclaimed professionals. The winner (to be announced towards the end of the year) will receive a generous cash prize and have the guidance and support from both the university and Kebony to craft their sculpture to scale. The final design will then be exhibited in a Central London location. Kebony’s performance has been proven in a variety of architectural and design applications including; decking, cladding, interior and exterior furniture, cutlery and more. The wood is sustainable, durable and requires no maintenance beyond normal cleaning. Developed in Norway, the patented Kebony technology enhances the properties of sustainable softwood with a bio-based liquid. The process permanently modifies the wood cell walls giving Kebony premium, hardwood characteristics, resulting in significantly improved durability and structural stability. Alexis Harding, Course Leader at the University of East London commented: “Kebony wood is a beautiful product which plenty of artists would love to get their hands on. We have acquired an opportunity which enables the students to learn through creation, experimenting and developing with the material. This is an extremely worthwhile experience for all involved and we can’t wait to see how the students’ progress.” Sabine Domayer, Marketing Manager at Kebony explained: “The team at Kebony is thrilled to be working with the University of East London and we are intrigued to see the students’ designs and how Kebony is utilised. The versatility of the material really lends itself to a competition of this sort – each student will have an original idea, and this competition is an opportunity to demonstrate to the students that it is possible for their vision to become a reality.” Design Exchange will be following this exciting competition, follow on Twitter and Instagram for regular updates.      @KebonyWood