Asavari Deonath

When it came time for Asavari Deonath to pick what to study at university, she found herself pulled in two different directions. She was torn between following her interest in the creative that she’d nurtured since the age of 10, and pursuing psychology – an interest that arose when she was in college.

Fortunately, it all worked out and she had the opportunity to do both at ANU.

“ANU that year, in 2014, was the first year they had the Flexible Double Degree and that sealed the deal,” she says. “I didn’t have to choose.”

Fast forward four and a half years later, Asavari is proudly graduating with a double degree in Bachelor of Design and a Bachelor of Science (Psychology). 

Reflecting on her time at ANU, there are several things which Asavari is certain she will miss. 

“I will miss learning, which I like a lot, and I’ve appreciated the know-how of my teachers,” she says. 

She’ll also miss greatly the resources she’s had access to at the School of Art and Design.

“I don’t know how I am going to practice as an artist without those machines, so I have to be a bit more flexible with which mediums I work with,” Asavari says. 

The School played an integral role in Asavari’s growth and development both as an individual and as an artist. One formative experience she had was going on exchange at a top design school, the Lahti University of Applied Sciences' Institute of Design, in the small Finnish city of Lahti (population around 100,000). 

“Although initially it was isolating because I was the only Australian there, it was good to learn a wide variety of things, meet people who were different, and have a whole lot of new experiences that I couldn't have imagined myself doing before” she reflects.

“It was valuable to make connections with people in the industry. I gave a lot of things a go and had the freedom to explore. It forced me to be resilient, creative and resourceful.” 

Asavari is now wrapping up her Bachelor of Design with an impressive portfolio, having notched 11 exhibitions over almost 5 years. One of her proudest achievements was her first solo exhibition, A Woman's Place which was held in the ANU Furniture Workshop Gallery, that she'll be talking about at the ANU Student Research Conference. 

“Students at the School of Art and Design, have a lot of exhibition opportunities. More than 90% of my exhibitions have been through the ANU.” 

“For an emerging artist, it is kind of a big deal to start solo exhibiting. That kind of stuff will just end up on my portfolio and make me sound like a vaguely successful artist,” Asavari jokes.
   
Two days after completing her final exams, Asavari landed a job at the Migrant and Refugee Settlement Service, which helps to resettle and provide services to migrants, refugees and humanitarian entrants. She’s found herself using skills she learned at the School of Art and Design for a role that's seemingly unrelated. There, she is tackling tasks she’s never done before, but has taken them on with confidence.

“In my new job, I have enough practice in different types of things that I am never too fazed when delegated a task and I just apply what I know. The ANU is very good at making you into an all-rounder,” Asavari says.

“I found myself taking on the media, promotion and website management, even though I don’t do media or coding, but really, I know enough from Art School to become that person for my workplace.”

Asavari plans to undertake her Honours in Psychology alongside her new full-time job. 

“A lot of my friends are worried that I will be so stressed out, but I am sticking with it anyway,” she says. 

“I know the moment I tell myself I can’t do it, that is when things will start going wrong.”