Seeing her work hanging on an office wall pulling colour into the room inside the Welcome Centre has artist Angelina Kirincic feeling inspired.

“It’s very surreal,” Kirincic said. “I never really marketed my work and to have it purchased by the University is a huge honour. It gives me hope that this is something tangible, I can go into this field and profit from it. People like what I’m doing.”

She created the striking piece while working toward her Bachelor of Fine Arts after being given the prompt “storm.”

“It's a collage piece originally. There are two different sides to the work, and I cut up a paper that was a printout of a storm. I kind of focused on a purple and pink colour scheme. And a yellow insert. Most of it is painted with my hands, which isn’t the most traditional, but it was done all in one sitting. I added just a few minor things like there's glitter and some iridescent paint layered on top of it,” Kirincic explained.

This piece was experimental for Kirincic, she said, as she usually works in collage adding acrylic and oil paints, taking inspiration from graphic mediums.

“This piece came from intuition. I don't tend to work in abstract form, but I wanted to test it out. And I think it can be a little easier to work when there isn't pressure to adhere to a certain visual, which is how this came about.”

The artwork now adds a pop of colour to the Welcome Centre.

“I never really thought anyone would want to have my work,” Kirincic said, “But it really means a lot to me as an artist to see it hanging here.”

She will graduate this spring and plans to continue her art studies, looking abroad for possible opportunities that could help land her a career in editorial or communications design.