To encounter struggle is a part of being human; this we cannot control. What we can control, however, is how we choose to respond to this struggle, using our resilience to conquer our challenges rather than let them stop us from achieving our goals.
For the past 15 weeks, our Year 9 art students have studied the concept of challenge and of how they can use their own creative problem solving and critical thinking skills to not only work around barriers but to use them to their advantage when producing their work. They learnt about famous artists who have faced mental and physical challenges in their lives and how they used these challenges to inspire and create their art.
This week, as a celebration of their learning, the students curated their own art exhibition Challenge, inviting parents and fellow students to attend and view their work, some of which they linked to artworks recently on display at Moderna Museum by artists like Hilma af Klint and Duchamp, who famously created their art in the face of their own personal challenges.
Along their journey of creating 2D and 3D artworks, the students learnt various techniques to overcome their own challenges and barriers they faced for the tasks they had been asked to complete, culminating in portrait drawings, abstract paintings, digital art pieces and 3D ‘readymades,’ amongst others.
Art Teacher Emma Harris reflected, “I am very proud of our Year 9 pupils, from their dedication during the project to creating and making a very successful exhibition. I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all the parents who were able to come and support the Year 9s, as well as many of our pupils and staff within school.”
