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Meet our Grade 12 IB Visual Arts Students
Our Grade 12 IB visual arts students are preparing for their final exhibition and exam in April, so please mark your calendars for our Opening Night Reception on Thursday, April 11. The exhibition will then be displayed for two weeks in our Stanfield Dining Hall/McLellan Annex.
After March Break, our students will focus on planning their display, writing a rationale and exhibition texts, and uploading their artwork. It has taken months of preparation, and each student is required to produce a number of art works based on their own direction or theme. This year, we have 26 Grade 12 students who will be exhibiting their work. The Grade 11 IB art students will be assisting our Grade 12 students with their displays as well as showing their work.
Until the art show, we will be showcasing our artists in our weekly newsletter highlighting one of their favourite projects during this two-year course. I hope you enjoy reading the profiles of our young artists.
This week, we are highlighting Jess Etou ’24, Andrea Ting ’24, and Rendi Ashley ‘24.
Jess calls many places home including Brazzaville, Congo; Paris, France; Dakar, Senegal; and her family now lives in Montreal, Quebec. She has attended KES for four years.
What artwork did you choose to share?
I have decided to share the collage that I completed this year called My Sister and I. This collage was inspired by a photograph that I had taken of my sister and me.
While researching for my comparative study, I had discovered and was inspired by a Japanese African- American artist; Tawny Chatmon. Her artwork was inspired by emotion and love for her children, the Black community, and hope for the world. Tawny was influenced by the Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. She used decorative gold, and historically gold was reserved for those of importance. In turn, she has applied this practice by using gold to adorn those that are important to her while addressing issues in need of urgent attention. I was influenced by her design and her passion for her culture.
In the photograph that I used, the dress was given to me by my mother. It has traditional patterns on the dress which represent different communities. The dress was usually made of cotton because of working in the heat. In the pattern, there is a flower – the African Iris – which is one of the flowers of Congo. I wanted to use different metallic papers in the collage, suggesting the importance of my sister to me. I also wanted to wind my sister’s hair with gold which is a symbol of beauty in Black culture. Nappy, natural, and happy.
The imperfection of the collage reminds the audience not to look at the big picture but the small, individual sections that make up the big picture. The International Baccalaureate has given me the opportunity to explore and research my culture.
Future plans: I plan to attend university in the fall.
Future plans: I plan to attend university in the fall.
Andrea is from Taipei, Taiwan and has attended KES for two years.
What artwork did you choose to share?
I have chosen to share my printmaking artwork called Taipei 101. I wanted to try using a new medium, so I decided to try printmaking. I chose the building Taipei 101 which represents Taiwan and it is the most recognizable. It is the tenth-highest building in the world. I felt using printmaking would emphasize the architectural structure of the building. I also wanted to make more than one copy.
After designing the drawing of the building, I then carved the image on a board. After the design and carving were complete on the board, I then printed the board using block black ink. I made multiple prints using different types of paper and different colours. I chose to share the copper print because it reminds me of the richness of the building and its architectural design. The focus of my International Baccalaureate studio artwork has been researching my Taiwanese culture.
Future plans: I plan to attend university in the fall.
Future plans: I plan to attend university in the fall.
Rendi lives in Falmouth, Nova Scotia, and has attended KES for five years.
What artwork did you choose to share?
I have decided to share Balinese Celebration – Mom and My Aunties which is an oil painting on stretched canvas with gold leaf.
I started this painting in Grade 11 while I was researching my Balinese culture and decided I wanted to do a celebration painting. My mom found an old photograph of her and her sisters taken in Bali during a celebration. They were wearing traditional Bali dress. This photograph was the inspiration and direction for my studio work in the International Baccalaureate visual arts program.
For this painting, I chose to work on a large, stretched canvas (76 cm x 101 cm), using oil paint and gold leaf which was influenced by the Austrian painter Gustav Klimt. I also wanted to use a monochromatic colour scheme using brown, sepia, and gold which I felt reflected the warmth of Bali and the feeling of home.
The dress that they are wearing is a traditional dress worn for special occasions. The headdress is also worn for weddings. The gold leaf is added to suggest richness, and it also adds focus on the design elements. Gold is very significant and symbolic of the Balinese culture. This direction in my work has also influenced my investigation for my IB comparative study.
Having this opportunity to explore my culture gave me a wonderful window into my heritage.
Future plans: I plan to attend university in the fall.
Sandy Stewart
Fine Arts Teacher
King’s-Edgehill School is located in Mi'kma'ki, the unceded ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq People.
