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After moving thousands of miles from home to receive specialist education in Exeter, a deaf teenager has achieved one of the best grades in the country for her stunning photography.Sudarat Makeshine gave up the chance of going to university in her native Thailand so she could learn sign language in the UK.
The Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education student says moving to the city has helped her become independent.
Sudurat said there was little support for deaf people in Thailand and said that when she returned in a year she wanted to pursue a career helping those with hearing problems.
While in Bangkok, Sudarat found it hard to cope because she couldn't catch up in lessons or talk to her friends properly.
She moved to Exeter two years ago and ac hieved 100 per cent in two of her three photography AS level exams this summer.
Sudarat's tutor Peter Day said: "Her exam results were excellent, but what is more exceptional is Suderat's personal circumstances.
"She is in a completely alien environment, but has excelled in a visual medium."
Sudarat's mother didn't want her to learn sign language before she travelled to Exeter because she thought it would be better for her daughter to learn to lip-read Thai.
The 21-year-old passed university entrance exams but chose to go to Exeter because she wanted to learn English, British Sign Language and take UK qualifications.
She said: "I can stand by myself now because of my main supports who are my parents, my tutors, and people who I have met."
Sudarat, who lives in the academy, is also studying graphic design and business at Exeter College with the help of her communication support worker, who helps her to make notes or understand the lesson using BSL or Sign Support English.
She said she loved living in Exeter because it was not too big and because of new facilities, such as Princesshay.
"Most people I meet are friendly and all staff in shops here are aware and understanding of the deaf," she said. "I can communicate with everyone if they speak clearly face to face and write on a piece of paper if I don't understand clearly."
The move to Exeter was the first time Sudarat has been away from her family and they stayed with her for a week when she first arrived.
Her stunning pictures seen here feature in a collection called Sleep City, which is part of a project about the environment. They were taken in Bristol city centre.
"In Exeter, there are unique buildings and not much variety and it's not really urban, so I travelled to Bristol, and the idea developed," Sudarat said.
"I chose Bristol for part of my shoot because it is a large city and has a variety of buildings. People pass by and it's always busy.
"I shot images during the day and night. Finally, the result came out. I chose to concentrate on my night-time images. They were more interesting and had more impact for me.
"I am interested how movement is captured at night.
"People do not observe the buildings which are all around them. They do not care to take the time to look.
"My work looks at the human body as a metaphor. I see the human body as skeleton and structure, brain as memory and emotion.
"Within my work, I compare veins in the human body with the constant busy flow of city life.
"The body receives energy from the constant flow of blood pumping through the veins. This is crucial for the strength of the human body.
"The blood flow enables the energy for life, determined and carefree in the way the city never sleeps. There is always two sides and the uncertainty is in the human."
After moving thousands of miles from home to receive specialist education in Exeter, a deaf teenager has achieved one of the best grades in the country for her stunning photography.Sudarat Makeshine gave up the chance of going to university in her native Thailand so she could learn sign language in the UK.
The Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education student says moving to the city has helped her become independent.
Sudurat said there was little support for deaf people in Thailand and said that when she returned in a year she wanted to pursue a career helping those with hearing problems.
While in Bangkok, Sudarat found it hard to cope because she couldn't catch up in lessons or talk to her friends properly.
She moved to Exeter two years ago and ac hieved 100 per cent in two of her three photography AS level exams this summer.
Sudarat's tutor Peter Day said: "Her exam results were excellent, but what is more exceptional is Suderat's personal circumstances.
"She is in a completely alien environment, but has excelled in a visual medium."
Sudarat's mother didn't want her to learn sign language before she travelled to Exeter because she thought it would be better for her daughter to learn to lip-read Thai.
The 21-year-old passed university entrance exams but chose to go to Exeter because she wanted to learn English, British Sign Language and take UK qualifications.
She said: "I can stand by myself now because of my main supports who are my parents, my tutors, and people who I have met."
Sudarat, who lives in the academy, is also studying graphic design and business at Exeter College with the help of her communication support worker, who helps her to make notes or understand the lesson using BSL or Sign Support English.
She said she loved living in Exeter because it was not too big and because of new facilities, such as Princesshay.
"Most people I meet are friendly and all staff in shops here are aware and understanding of the deaf," she said. "I can communicate with everyone if they speak clearly face to face and write on a piece of paper if I don't understand clearly."
The move to Exeter was the first time Sudarat has been away from her family and they stayed with her for a week when she first arrived.
Her stunning pictures seen here feature in a collection called Sleep City, which is part of a project about the environment. They were taken in Bristol city centre.
"In Exeter, there are unique buildings and not much variety and it's not really urban, so I travelled to Bristol, and the idea developed," Sudarat said.
"I chose Bristol for part of my shoot because it is a large city and has a variety of buildings. People pass by and it's always busy.
"I shot images during the day and night. Finally, the result came out. I chose to concentrate on my night-time images. They were more interesting and had more impact for me.
"I am interested how movement is captured at night.
"People do not observe the buildings which are all around them. They do not care to take the time to look.
"My work looks at the human body as a metaphor. I see the human body as skeleton and structure, brain as memory and emotion.
"Within my work, I compare veins in the human body with the constant busy flow of city life.
"The body receives energy from the constant flow of blood pumping through the veins. This is crucial for the strength of the human body.
"The blood flow enables the energy for life, determined and carefree in the way the city never sleeps. There is always two sides and the uncertainty is in the human."