The end of the BCIS school year was blessed with a touch of creativity with the introduction of the Secondary School art exhibition hosted on the first floor, where staff, students, and teachers passing by were drawn to the imaginative works on display, taking a moment out of their busy final days of the semester to appreciate the new aesthetic.

At BCIS, every student is given the space and time to explore visual art, whether that be through painting, sculpture, or any other medium, all encouraged to bring their imaginations to life. Life reflects art and art reflects life, hence the use of visual art as a means of inquiry-based learning, as it can be a window into to better understanding the world around us. The displayed artworks not only showcase the creativity and thought processes that are given the chance to blossom in our community but also reflect the passion and dedication of our students when expressing themselves through art.

At the middle school art exhibition, we were treated to everything vibrant self-portraits and imaginative comic stories to unique sculptures and intricate prints exploring the idea of “Who Am I?”, with each piece reflecting the students’ deep engagement with both their mediums and their themes. 

The Grade 6 students exhibited their hand-crafted clay masks, each one unique and demonstrating their understanding of the Elements of Art and the Principles of Design which they had studied in depth beforehand. As part of their research and lines of inquiry processes, they all observed and searched for different artistic elements which existed within the community; points, lines, shapes, colors, spaces, wherever they could be found, purposeful or incidental. The mask-making project was their chance to apply these learnings in a three-dimensional format, demonstrating the culmination of their months of learning and understanding. Sophia, focusing on the theme of “the self,” combined and featured penguins, pudding, ribbons, and traditional Chinese Bagua patterns into her mask, using various materials and gradient colors to create a distinctive look, each containing focuses on different Elements of Art and Principles of Design.

The Grade 7 students spent their time investigating and breaking down the artistic elements of a comic book, researching different artistic styles from artists across the world and analyzed the variety of techniques and principles utilized in these works. Gradually, they designed their own characters and stories, sketched storyboards, and completed their own comic books, drawing on their deep understanding of the unique features of the medium.  

The students of Grade 8 honed in on their printmaking skills, which was the resulted in a more structured and formal learning process of the artform. After delving into the importance and usage of art as a reflection of both nature and society, with a diverse selection of famous case studied, they wrote formative and summative essays discussing the ‘why?’, not just the ‘what?’, of visual art. Beyond their writing, they further showcased their deep understanding of how people use art to connect with the world around them through their own print pieces, its elegance proudly displayed amongst the other art pieces in the exhibition. 

Throughout this process, the students were not only artists but also learners of art; the learning and inquiry process helped them grasp artistic theories and aesthetics, as they used this knowledge to guide them unleashing the full potential and creativity in a physical form. Having the theory to help better understand how to create purposeful, meaningful and personal artworks is a valuable and tangible lesson which will guide the creative-minded throughout their artistic journeys going forward. Here, visual art serves as the language of expression for what is normally restricted to speech or text, unlocking deeper meanings and conveying personal experiences, with each piece reflecting distinct insights and thoughtfulness.

The high school exhibition shifted the focus away from self-exploration onto the goings-on of the wider world, under the banner "The Problems We Face." Grade 10 students tackled topics like cultural decline, self-doubt, race, and peace through various mediums including painting, colored pencils, watercolor, photography, and collage, exploring the different ways visual imagery can be utilized to provoke emotion and communicate complex ideas.

Jerry’s distinctive ‘fragmented head’ piece was inspired by Buddhist sculptures from the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, symbolizing the gradual disappearance of Chinese traditional culture in each generation due to the rapid influx of Western influence, futurism, and modernism, leading to a gradual loss of cultural identity. Jerry utilized traditional Chinese lacquer and gold leaf repair techniques (kintsugi) to highlight the cracks, as he also cleverly integrated mathematical and physical formulas into the figure, representing how contemporary ideologies of ubiquity have overtaken cultural and creative thinking. The visual impact of Jerry's work is powerful and represents the themes of power and representation of culture in a fascinating manner.

To convey the immense rise of the epidemic of pressure and insecurity faced by modern individuals, Robin used strong colors and distinct strokes of a crayon to depict blurred, distorted figures, also utilizing collage techniques to represent the sheer weight of pressure upon an individual. The piece stands out as the figures with their mouths open, staring at the viewer, evoke a sense of oppression, anxiety, and struggle.

Through exploring the world of visual art, students have learned not only how to engage in dialogue with themselves and their audience, creating resonance, but also how to find creative, critical, and imaginative ways to explore and express thoughts on various social issues.

This collection of secondary school artwork will be on display at the front desks and libraries of both the Secondary and Elementary schools starting this September – come by to appreciate the wide range of talent and expression on display!

This collection not only showcases the students’ creativity and artistic abilities but also addresses why, despite the increasing emphasis on academic excellence, we remain committed and understand the significance of the study of art. As a form of exploratory learning, students gain unique perspectives on observing and imagining the world and themselves, expanding their understanding and vision of reality through art, and engaging in meaningful communication with others. As they continue to traverse forwards in their respective journeys, the ongoing development of creative skills and understanding is something of great value in today's world.