News
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 Andy Wang ‘24 and Fox Sullivan '24.
Andy is from Beijing, China and has attended KES for four years.
What artwork did you choose to share?
I have decided to share my oil painting titled Buddha Phase. For this work I used a stretched canvas. I have always been interested in the Romantic art period. The Romantic art period originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. It is characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism. There is usually a strong light source on what is the focal point in the painting. I have been interested in the belief of Buddhism and wanted to compose a subject around this interest. I was influenced by a few photographs while researching my ideas.
In my painting, the subject is a cut-off view of a monk holding beads. I wanted to emphasize the hands holding the beads. That is why this area of the painting is lighter. I decided to use rich colours. The maroon colour suggests gratitude and thoughtfulness. It also evokes sentiments of spirituality and wisdom which has a close relationship with Buddhism.
Both the Romantic art period and the Realism art period have influenced my studio work during this IB course and my comparative study which is also an IB requirement. The Realist movement in French art flourished from about 1840 until the late 19th century and sought to convey a truthful and objective vision of contemporary life.
Future plans: I plan to attend Sheridan College for Game Design.
What artwork did you choose to share?
Fox is from Windsor, Nova Scotia and has attended KES for seven years.
What artwork did you choose to share?
I have decided to share my self-portrait drawn using graphite on drafting paper. I wanted to try drawing a self-portrait in my first year of the IB visual arts program.
I took a photograph of myself in a three-quarter view. I chose to wear my school uniform since school has had a big impact on me and on my life. I wanted to use black and white since I decided to incorporate blueprint drawings from our present home. Using black and white, the focus would be on the blueprint drawings and my self-portrait. The blueprint drawings also represented my interest in architecture and my environment.
I took a photograph of myself in a three-quarter view. I chose to wear my school uniform since school has had a big impact on me and on my life. I wanted to use black and white since I decided to incorporate blueprint drawings from our present home. Using black and white, the focus would be on the blueprint drawings and my self-portrait. The blueprint drawings also represented my interest in architecture and my environment.
I am most proud of the composition and how well the blueprints complement the portrait itself. This portrait inspired me to use graphite more and to improve and build my drawing skills. My interest in architecture also was carried into my comparative study. I wanted to research different forms of architecture. In this study, I researched three buildings: Ha Long Villa (Vietnam), Halifax Central Library (Halifax, Nova Scotia), and Habitat 67 (Montreal, Canada).
When I researched Ha Long Villa it sparked an interest in green architecture. The philosophy of green architecture advocates sustainable energy sources, the conservation of energy, the reuse and safety of building materials, and the sitting of a building with consideration of its impact on the environment.
Future plans: I plan to attend University.
Sandy Stewart
Fine Arts Teacher
Fine Arts Teacher
King’s-Edgehill School is located in Mi'kma'ki, the unceded ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq People.
