The students who study Art at Diploma level are required to create a variety of pieces all connected by a theme, which they then have to provide a rationale for and exhibit. On Friday 25th March their Exhibition took place and both the students and local community were invited to view their finished artwork. Here they share their ideas and the challenges they faced.

Interview with Jade

How did you come up with the theme of culture?

I came up with the theme of culture because I have experienced many different cultures as I lived all around the world on three different continents. Exploring different cultures really opened my eyes and I hoped from this theme, I could help other people look at different cultures in a different light.

What is your favourite piece and what do you like about it?

My favourite art piece is Miss Dragon which is a Chinese-inspired piece. I love this piece because of all of the colours I used and how it represents beautiful China. I’ve also been to China which was a great experience and I would love other people to experience the beauty that this country and culture have to offer to others.

What process did you go through to create an artwork?

For my process, we would start by exploring research of different artists that would inspire artwork and from there we would start to sketch and create process work.

What are some of the challenges you had to overcome and how did you overcome them?

Some challenges that I had over the last two years was finding the motivation to create process studies and do artist research. The process was so important to complete and I’m happy I did it in the early days. I overcame this problem by really planning out what I was going to do and when I was going to do it.

Would you recommend the DP visual arts course for the upcoming students and do you have any piece of advice?

I would definitely recommend the DP Visual Arts course to any upcoming students that really love doing art. It is not an easy topic to do as it may seem but I think if you are, if you enjoy it, and you are inspired by Art you’re going to love this program.

A local artist came to visit ISSH, what were your experiences with him?

A local artist did come in, his name is Carl Röhrig, he showed us how to use multiple different mediums to create a piece. I created a n artwork that showed the Swiss Alps which had a beautiful sunset in the background. I used three different types of mediums; acrylic, modelling paste, and liquid watercolours, we also used an airbrush machine for added effect. I have never used some of these tools before so it was really interesting and I am really happy with the outcome of my piece that day.

Interview with Jenna

How did you come up with the theme of power?

So for me, art is really important because it can help us express our thoughts on social issues and personal issues. Therefore I wanted to approach the DP Visual Arts course with the theme ‘Power’ because I thought it would allow me to visualise a lot of social issues that I care about and help with my own personal issues in life.

What is your favourite piece and what do you like about it?

I have multiple favourite pieces but probably the most special to me is ‘Slaughterhouse’ which talks about police brutality as I think this is a very important topic and I like how I was able to convey this and also ‘Fragility’ because this piece took me a long time to make and I am very proud of the outcome of it after working for many months.

What process did you go through to create an artwork?

So the general process for creating artwork starts with an idea or a theme and then with this theme I will then research an artist and research the topic. Usually this will help to inspire me with an idea and then from that idea I’ll start doing sketches and process work and start experimenting with mediums. This is generally what I did for most of my pieces and then usually an idea will come to me through the process work and then the final piece is created.

What are some of the challenges you had to overcome and how did you overcome them?

The main challenge for me was motivation. There are many times where I lack inspiration and enthusiasm towards art but when you find that inspiration, this barrier can be overcome. I chose to do power because I knew that there would be a lot of topics to talk about that interests me.

Would you recommend the DP visual arts course for the upcoming students and do you have any piece of advice?

I would definitely recommend doing the DP Visual Arts course for other upcoming DP students. This course is very different to other art courses because there’s a lot of freedom which is great for any developing artist. This course definitely helped me grow and learn as both an artist and a person while exploring different art techniques and mediums but also different aspects of life.

A local artist came to visit ISSH, what were your experiences with him?

The local artist who came was called Carl Röhrig. He worked with us and I definitely really enjoyed this, as it allowed us to create a piece that was guided and directly inspired by an artist. We got to explore many new techniques and mediums that we have never looked at before. With the help of a professional artist, it was very helpful and I ended up creating a piece that was very beautiful and something that I was very proud of myself once I completed the piece.