Hi everyone! My name is Masa and I’ve recently joined the RA as a HLF trainee in Collecti

Hi everyone! 

My name is Masa and I’ve recently joined the RA as a HLF trainee in Collections Department. I was interested in Art from early on and also knew I would like to work in the museum sector - so, not surprisingly, I decided to pursue a degree in Art History. During my studies I worked at the Museum of Modern Art in Ljubljana as a tour guide, which helped me evaluate my career options. At that time, I became interested in working with collections and therefore made the bold decision to move abroad as soon as I had graduated. I soon found myself in London, and started my career in front of house roles and doing some unpaid work on the side. 

As I sat down to write this I realised what an incredible month this has been for me. It’s fascinating learning about RA’s history first-hand from works of contemporary and past Academicians. Diploma works (which are donated by artists upon their election to a Member of the RA) are probably most well-known objects in our collections, but I’m beginning to realise how much more there is to discover. I love our eclectic collection of casts that varies from architectural details to famous antique sculptures. We even have casts of real bodies that were used by students whilst learning how to draw the human figure! Above is a photograph I took whilst removing casts from the studios of the RA Schools. They probably haven’t been moved since 1870s and we’ll make sure they’re cleaned and preserved before we rehang them. 

As you can imagine this is an exceptionally busy period for my team as we’re all working hard on preparing displays for the new galleries that will open as part of Academy’s 250th anniversary next year. I’m looking forward to share details about projects I’m involved in, so stay tuned. 

Best, 

Masa