Meet Leverhulme Arts Scholar and Contemporary Art Practice MA graduate Yasmeen Fathima Thantrey

Yasmeen Thantrey (Contemporary Art Practice MA, 2023) is an artist living and working in London. She recently completed MA Contemporary Art Practice at the RCA supported by a full fees scholarship from the Leverhulme Trust.

Yasmeen's work explores diaspora and identity, with a particular focus on feminist and race related issues. She draws on her experience of disability, chronic illness and class growing up as a Pakistani Punjabi woman in the UK. Encompassing photography, performance, film, installation and soft sculpture – Yasmeen's work is rooted in socio-political issues. Her practice is an amalgamation of art, activism and performance which aims to dismantle power structures, often with a touch of satirical humour.

How would you sum up your practice in one sentence?

My practice draws from lived experience and explores the intersections of identity.

What were you up to before coming to the RCA?

Before joining MA Contemporary Art Practice (CAP), I was working at Arts Students’ Union as an elected Campaigns Officer, having just completed my BA. My practice was largely concept and theory based, and CAP stood out to me as a programme that would nurture my interests and allow me to explore critical theory further.

How did the CAP MA programme challenge you to expand your practice?

CAP helped me understand my working style and tendencies to overcompensate. The team created a safe space to have difficult and challenging conversations that are much needed in the arts and education sector.

What's your most memorable moment of the RCA?

CAPBaret and CAP x Tate Lates were definitely highlights!

CAPBaret is a yearly fixture in the CAP calendar providing an irreverent platform for loose and exploratory live performances, interventions, prop-object demonstrations, recitations and readings, short films, mini-lectures, spotlit sculptures, choreographic and sonic interludes.

CAP x Tate Lates was a unique event that took place at Tate Modern in London. It was the first time that students have been invited to contribute to Tate Lates. Our programme included live presentations, performances, short film screenings, a series of one-to-one live activations, a large collaborative fabric mural and a presentation of artists-at-work.

Can you give us a snapshot of a typical day at the RCA?

No way! The only consistency was group lunch in the studio, sharing a bag of crisps or sweets.

Did you collaborate with students or staff from other areas of the RCA?

We had a week of workshops across programmes. It was nice to meet people who explored similar themes and just see more friendly faces.

I also made the most of technicians and workshop facilities that I was too scared to access during my undergraduate degree. I found the resources so accessible, technicians approachable and the overall experience was really positive.

How did the Leverhulme Arts Scholarship change your overall experience at the RCA?

I would not have been able to complete my degree without the Leverhulme Arts Scholarship. I don't think I realised before receiving this how much pressure it would take off me during my time at the RCA. My illness was at its worst at the start of my time at the RCA so working to support myself became difficult. If I’d had to account for my tuition fees, it would have been challenging to see it to the end.

What’s next for you?

I'm trying to continue to work in organisations and environments whose values match my own, and I hope to continue developing my practice through open calls and opportunities. A PhD is tempting, but I am trying to remind myself that there's no rush and I have time.