A NORTH East artist and lecturer has become the subject of a question in a national exam being sat by his students.

Paul Harvey teaches art and design at The Creative Studios, based at the Queen Alexandra Campus of TyneMet College in North Shields.

As an experienced artist, Newcastle-based Paul is used to seeing his work exhibited across the country. But now he is in the frame in a 2012 A-level paper.

The question, which appears in the “critical and contextual studies” section from exam board Edexcel, revolves around the controversial banning of Paul’s painting of Charles Saatchi from the window of the Artspace Gallery in London in 2010.

The reason given for the removal of the painting, which depicted a halo of cheese around the millionaire advertising mogul and art patron, and a sheep at his feet, was that it was considered “too controversial for the area”.

At the time, Paul said of the removal: “I did it to make Saatchi look friendly and human. It’s a ludicrous decision.”

Paul, who is a programme leader for HND graphic design, joined the college initially as a part-time lecturer when it was North Tyneside College, in 1986.

He said: “One of the great advantages for any student is to be taught by practitioners working at a high level, as this gives the students a real understanding of how the creative industries work.

“Being featured in the A-level exam is extremely helpful to our students taking the paper as it gives them access to a primary source for their research and an opportunity to speak directly to the artist, thus assuring greater understanding of the question and a better opportunity to achieve high grades.”

He added: “The Creative Studios has supported my practice, which includes a major show at Edinburgh College of Art in the summer, as they appreciate what benefits a successful artist can bring to teaching and learning.”