Meet BA ’05 grad Alex Dawkins: Examining our colonial past



He examines our colonial past to understand our present culture.

Alex Dawkins graduated from UBC in May of 2005 with a BA in Art History. He participated in Go Global during his third year and studied in Aberdeen, Scotland.

“The colonial links between Scotland, British Columbia and the First Nations people deserve more attention within the field, and I hope that I can contribute to both British Columbian and British culture with my work.”

He plans to begin his Ph.D. in September of 2007, most likely based on Northwest Coast native artwork and post-colonial aesthetic theory.

Throughout 2005, Alex worked at the Lattimer Gallery while completing his studies, and this position allowed him to apply what he learned as an Art History student. The experience also enabled him to hone his understanding and appreciation of Northwest Coast native art, which he had been introduced to at UBC.

“I would not have been able to afford the exorbitant overseas fees in the UK,” he says, “were it not for assistance from the Koerner Foundation, which is an organisation that is both linked to UBC and dedicated to promoting the arts within Vancouver.”

Alex also won a substantial Grant-in-Aid in 2005 and just recently won a second supplementary award from the Foundation.  “My time since leaving UBC has been amazing and I truly value the academic base that UBC provided,” he says.