Four WLC Students Win Pitzhanger Comic Competition

8 Jun 2023

Four West London College students were winners in the ‘Comic Competition’, which was a part of ‘A Sense of Wonder’: The Curious Robot World of Matt Dixon exhibition, curated by Rob Dickins CBE. The exhibition took place at Pitzhanger Gallery and the competition was open to schools and colleges. The winners were chosen by Matt Dixon himself, an illustrator famed for his tiny robot characters.

Evie Tapiki and Victor Vasilev, two of the four winners

Matt Dixon chose 3 winning entries for West London College in the Comic Competition and the team at Pitzhanger selected a fourth. Matt chose ‘Game of Life’ by Evie Tapiki (16), who studies Digital Design Level 3. Matt said of Evie’s work: “An important message, told simply but elegantly with engaging graphics.”

Matt also selected work by two of our Art and Media Level 1 students. Of their work, Matt said: “I really like the design of the robots in this comic, and the positive message of friendship comes over very well.” And of the other: “This simple story is delightful. The design and expression of the robot is lovely.”

The team at Pitzhanger Gallery selected ‘Accident’ by Victor Vasilev (17) Digital Design Level 3.

Victor, who plans to study Graphic Design at Loughborough University when he finishes his course at West London College, said: “My comic mixed nature with modernism as an eggplant-style robot in a post-apocalyptic future is confined to a group of rooms where he waters plants. He has a flood but it doesn’t really matter as no humans are left to see it – he is just a robot wandering around on an empty planet.”

Evie, who plans to study Architecture at the University of the Creative Arts, Canterbury when she completes her qualification, said: “The message in my comic was about finding light in a dark situation and focused on mental health. One tiny robot offers friendship to another one and instead of being sad anymore the robot is happy.”

Copies of the winners’ work were professionally printed and displayed for the last days of the Matt Dixon exhibition and over half term in February at the Pitzhanger Gallery.