South Northamptonshire designer Mia Parkinson wins an exhibition at Banburyshire's Heseltine Gallery

Mia Parkinson, 26, is a graduate of decorative arts and submitted pieces to the gallery's Open Exhibition, which closes on Thursday, December 16. Selectors commended her work and awarded her an exhibition.

Ms Parkinson, a former pupil of Chenderit School in whose campus the gallery is located, uses recycled and eco -friendly materials in a technique she developed after collecting some 'rubbish' at university which she used to create vessels using layers of the waste with jesmonite and resin. Jesmonite is a water-based composite material used to make decorative moulded objects and is popular with eco-aware artists and designers.

Ms Parkinson praised the Heseltine Gallery for providing a space in which local artists can promote their work to a wider audience.

"The contemporary gallery is a great area for artwork, particularly given its large amount of glass allowing natural light to fill the room and showing all of the artists' work in its best form," she said.

She described the feedback and support from viewers and gallery members as 'touching'.

"With much of the arts sector being shut through the pandemic, to be promoting my work in an amazing space is a real morale boost and gives me inspiration. It all started for me here - I was at school here - walking through the corridors and peering through the glass admiring the artwork. I really hope that someone will feel the same inspiration looking at mine in future," she said.

"It’s a huge achievement winning the award and it gives me confidence that I am on the right path in creating art that people can love just as much as I do, appreciating the time and effort that goes into each piece. This is an achievement that won’t be forgotten in my early days as a young artist. I am really humbled that my work has been picked for a future exhibition."

Ms Parkinson won the National Trust New Designers' Artisan & Craft Associate Prize in 2019.