The Bermuda Society of Arts (BSOA) is pleased to announce that Janika Sherree Fields has been awarded the 2011 BSOA Bursary Award in the amount of $5,000.
Ms. Fields, 21, will soon begin her senior year at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising, with a minor in Photography.
The graduate of Bermuda Institute, a resident of Devonshire when she is not away at school, is a former volunteer at the BSOA. She has participated in a number of workshops presented by the organisation, and recently exhibited a series of photographs as part of the BSOA’s Emerging Artists exhibition.
Ms. Fields, who didn’t own her own camera until she obtained a Nikon D300S while in her first year of college, says photography – particularly black and white – is her passion.
“I would like to explore the world in black and white, whether it is on my 35mm camera or a large format camera,” she says. “I like black and white because of the quality of the work produced, and being able to develop my own film and prints is more intimate and more fun. I feel more connected with my work because I am involved in the entire process from loading the film to framing the prints for a show.
“I am a storyline photographer, and all my work is staged … telling a story,” she says. “I use my imagination to create storylines that people my age can relate to.”
Ms. Fields says she is keen on a career in advertising, but is also considering pursuing a Master’s degree in teaching so that she can “teach up and coming photographers the beauty behind the lens”.
Ms. Field’s portfolio included her advertising/graphic design work, as well as photography.