A BARNSLEY art student will be heading to Brussels after earning the chance to present her work at an international art fair.

Alla Laycock is in her third year studying towards a Fine Art Practice degree at Barnsley College.

She applied for the Barnsley College Enterprising Futures grant which allowed her to participate in the International Contemporary Art Fair Bruxelles which is held in Brussels from February 21-28.

Alla was invited to present her work at the art fair by the curator of the international department of the Van Gogh Art Gallery in Madrid.

Alla said: “I was born in Ukraine and from my youth I collected albums on art, but never thought I could be an artist.

“I am a trained engineering system analyst and I only began to paint when I moved to England, without knowledge of the language, several years ago.

“Art helped me through the stress of moving, separation from family and friends and helped me to adapt to new conditions. For me, art is an expression of my inner world, it helps me to communicate, fight stress and loneliness.

“Displaying my work at the International Contemporary Art Fair is a great opportunity to meet professionals, contemporary artists, and art collectors.

“This experience has already given me invaluable practical skills in negotiation with the gallery in pricing, framing and shipping of artwork.”