Celebrating IB Art at BSB

A big congratulations to our Year 13 IB Art students Chae Hyun Dana Kim, Haena Choi, Lisa Iwanaga, Pei-Jung Hermione Hsieh, Yiming Angela Wei and Zanda Stapelberg on their incredible achievements!

The IB Art programme challenges students to work in a range of media, including; two dimensional, three dimensional and lens-based media. In addition, it encourages a personal response and an understanding of cultural diversity. Please see below the wide range of themes and variety of artworks on display at the MPR.

Ms Helen Bramley, Head of Visual Arts

Ms  Alia Gargum, Art Teacher

All the works are connected to the word ‘Breaking/ Broken’, this can refer to several concepts such as breaking existing bias or social customs. To ‘break’ means to cause to separate into pieces, because of a blow, shock, or strain. I felt personally connected to this term as I come from a divided country-Korea. I feel that my generation is broken, losing their faith and I have experienced heart break. The exhibition can be separated into three focus areas: War- a broken society, Religion- a broken faith, and Relationships- a broken heart.

My work has focused on the concept of ‘Restriction’. The reason why this topic came about was the experience of studying abroad in Beijing, China. On first arriving, I began by researching the practice of foot binding, which originated among court dancers in the early Song Dynasty (960-1279). The red ribbon featured in the artworks, binding the feet and faces, connecting the hands, and creating a physical representation of restriction. 

My art developed out of the central theme of Memory, the power of the brain to recall past experiences or information. In the broadest sense, there are three types of memory: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. I developed an interest into how memories are physically formed, works are categorized into four sub-concepts of memory, including ‘childhood memory’, ‘the biological relationship between physical movement and memory’, ‘personal memory of experience and emotions’ and ‘the record of memory’. 

The works are an exploration of the interaction between Nature and humankind. My parents taught me to appreciate and respect nature, this bond inspired me to create social commentary with my art. I started with the intention of capturing the beauty of nature, to generate the same appreciation for it in the viewer. As I researched this natural beauty I was overcome by the threat of pollution and manmade waste. As the process developed, I began to explore underlying themes, such as overpopulation and marine pollution.

This exhibition explores how the human body responds to decay. Some works extend to multiple associations with decay, such as mental decay, ageing, and memory loss. The artwork, 'Red' depicts a decayed rose, alluding to the decay of romantic relationships. 'Grandmother', an oil painting depicting my aging grandmother, staring down towards the viewer, evokes the viewer's collective memory of elder relatives. There is a warmth and wisdom in the portrait, which is a tribute to the beauty and love associated with old age.

The exploration of dreams and nightmares has been explored throughout art history. An interest in Surrealism urged me to explore topics related to fear and subconscious dream imagery, specifically in relation to nightmares.  One of my first artworks was a large-scale self-portrait drawing on which I projected the image of a skull, flashing in and out of view. My aim was to communicate my subconscious fears with the viewer feel through my art. The skull and skeleton became a symbol for fear and uncertainty in my artworks.