ARTEXPRESS – Bodies of work HSC Year 2024

My body of work, The Familial Gaze, represents the lifelong love and interconnectedness of multiple generations within my family, investigating the connection between my grandparents on my maternal and paternal sides and my cultural heritage from the Netherlands, Bosnia and Australia. My intention in these portraits was to convey memories and document growth while showing the audience our most cherished relationships. Using an everyday art material – the coloured pencil – I have applied the techniques used in photorealistic portraits by artists such as Chuck Close.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Chuck Close, Dylan Eakin, Mary Cassatt, Cherry Hood.

Occasionally we find ourselves at a crossroads, with more than one opportunity. We often look above, searching for answers, and question the choices we make. The urban city environment is a busy, chaotic world, where you must remain focused, stand strong and block out the noise that surrounds you. Throughout my body of work, trains represent the physical and emotional passage of time. I have used pastel colours, highlights of fluorescent pinks and soft blurring techniques with the intention of making my compositions unique and realistic.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Mark Rothko, Owen Rival.

My body of work examines the duality of human experience, juxtaposing everyday postures with the expressive qualities of dance to convey balance within the self and in relationships. Centred compositions reference the dance ritual of ‘finding one’s centre’, contrasting the stability of static figures with the fluidity of the concertina book. Through a black-and-white palette and intricate linework, I invite the audience to consider the harmony and tension of the human condition as I investigate the interplay between stillness and motion, introspection and outward expression. Indeed, introspection and action are not separate but deeply intertwined aspects of our existence.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Trisha Bown, Merce Cunningham, Robert Longo, Franz Kline, Mark Tansey, Yvonne Rainer.

My body of work investigates the universal concept of connection. My intention in featuring both animals and humans in my work was to blur the roles of instructor and learner in this deep, symbiotic relationship and to represent the lessons humans can learn from animals. I added interest to my work by incorporating elements of chiaroscuro, using the balance of light and dark to convey how opposites coexist harmoniously. I invite the audience to consider the innate wisdom animals possess and the lessons they teach us.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Maria D'Angelo, Mary Ross Bucholz, Jeanne Cardana.

In my body of work my intention was to spark the audience’s thoughts about the way our developing, fast-paced society affects our appreciation for smaller, unnoticed experiences. These occasions are often overlooked. I have used sketches and a dry brush painting style to represent the significance of these intimate, quiet and mundane moments of life and human relationships. My work uses nostalgia in homage to these easily forgotten points in time. Wherever you go, you will find humanity.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Tracey Moffatt, Edward Hopper.

The composition of my body of work, referencing contemporary tattoo art, is the antithesis of the spaced and vividly coloured characters of Hieronymus Bosch’s, The Garden of Earthly Delights. My work incorporates the symmetry of Greek architecture, Chinese mythology’s Teng (flying snake), scattered eyes of divine omniscience, and references to Renaissance artworks with biblical themes such as Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam. Crumbling buildings, wilting trees and black holes representing ‘the end’ invite the audience to consider that our own garden, ‘the modern world’, is seldom appreciated adequately. Yet, ironically, like the chiselled figure overlooking the frame, humans are chained to it.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Kentaro Miura, Berserk series; Vladivlecsjo; Hieronymus Bosch; Junji Ito; Trevor Bennett; contemporary tattoos.

My intention in Lustre was to examine the consumer culture that dominates the contemporary world and how it shapes our attraction to external appearances. My body of work analyses the hollowness of materialism and how it manipulates our desires based on looks alone. Each object represents the stark reality of modern desire in a society obsessed with surface appearances. Using a white gel pen throughout my work I have emphasised the ‘shine’ to convey how consumer culture glorifies the ephemeral nature of possessions. I invite the audience to confront the things humans covet and what we actually see as human fulfilment.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Cj Hendry, Marcello Barenghi, Luigi Benedicenti.

Concrete Bubble examines the monotonous cycle of urban life that we live and move within. My intention in my body of work was to challenge the modern world’s glorification of constant productivity, inviting the audience to recognise the repetitive nature of their own lives. Familiar Sydney transport vehicles are represented in the globes to reinforce this concept; the arrow-shaped street sign motif conveys the one-way journey individuals undertake in their daily lives. The concrete greys of the Sydney metropolis are drenched in blues and punctuated by the ever-present safety yellow, confronting the audience with its familiar presence.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Trent Parke, Daisuke Samejima, Magí Puig.

My body of work is a satirical comment on the overdramatised advertisements of large fashion brands. My intention was to make the work both alluring and repulsive, incorporating flesh and gore to represent the insanity of how fashion brands advertise their products. I sourced authentic animal and gore products and applied them to my models while taking photos, resulting in different constructions for each item: pinning the brains to the shoe, gluing the tentacles to the model's face, using meat's natural stickiness to wrap around the bag. This both successfully conveyed my concept and limited my use of after-photo editing.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Tara Sellios, Neal Auch.

Sonder: the profound realisation that each passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.

We have all existed, even if just for a moment, in the background of countless lives: at some point we have likely been the subject of someone else's sonder. I believe this is a worldly experience: everyone is intrigued by the idea of others. My body of work is inspired by the concept of ‘sonder’ and examines the idea that we are all connected. I chose oil paint for detail and depth, representing the complexity and richness of each individual's story.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Gustave Courbet, Gustave Caillebotte, Alyssa Monks.

My body of work investigates ideas and feelings that we all understand: anxiety about life, fear of rejection, unexplainable sadness. I represent the figures in my work hiding their faces as they navigate life in this complex postmodern world. In placing these figures into both natural and manufactured environments I communicate our isolation as individuals and the escalating prevalence of mental health issues in our society. Rust paint applied to the figures conveys the disintegration and decay of people’s mental health. Through my work, I encourage the audience to reflect on their mental health and the mental health of others.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Manfred Kielnhofer, Marcus Tse [ARTEXPRESS 2023], Xanthea Vazey [ARTEXPRESS 2021], Georgia Olivia Green [ARTEXPRESS 2018].

My body of work investigates the experience of having a chronically ill family member and the way it affects not only the patient but the people around them. It represents an experience that is rarely shared or talked about. I was inspired by my own personal experiences relating to my dad who suffers from numerous health conditions, including two heart transplants and a kidney transplant. My intention in making my drawings confronting was to examine my family’s hidden struggles and invite the audience to imagine their own loved one in a similar scenario.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Frida Kahlo.

My body of work is an invitation into the whimsical heart of childhood. With swirling hues and careful representations of cherished sweets and marbles, my intention was to awaken the audience’s own treasured memories through a vivid tapestry of colour and sensation. My work investigates the enchanting simplicity of those early delights: the thrill of a candy store visit, the anticipation in unwrapping a lollipop, or the warmth of sugary bliss on a carefree afternoon. By embracing these small wonders, the work conveys a time when the simplest moments glistened with joy and life’s sweetest treasures lay in unbridled playfulness.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Marco Mazzoni, Cecile Baird.
 

The space between objects is often overlooked, but since I began dancing I’ve become fascinated by the space a body occupies in motion. My intention in this body of work is to convey the ephemeral beauty of movement and the spaces it creates. A dancer’s movement can be more beautiful and mesmerising than the dancer themselves. Porcelain, a translucent, pale clay, glows when exposed to light, so the work represents each dancer’s unique expression of light, air and movement. For me, simply gazing at the work as a light in the darkness awakens a sense of spiritual wonder and awe.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Natasha Smaluck and Addison Skinner (Cowra Ballet School), Yayoi Kusama.

My body of work uses mycelium to investigate the tension between nature and industrialisation. Mycelium is a living network of fungal threads: a mushroom byproduct, usually an agricultural waste, that can be adapted for products such as sustainable packaging, replacing plastic foams like polystyrene. I made moulds of car parts then filled them with mycelium and sawdust, allowing the material to grow into the cavity of the mould. The organic, unpredictable growth contrasts sharply with the uniformity of mass-produced car parts. By using this natural material, I represent the irreplaceable uniqueness of nature in a world driven by mechanical replication.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Robbie Jenkins, Xiaojing Yan, Ian Cook, Ai Weiwei.

My body of work celebrates three of the people who have most influenced my fashion sense – my sister, my mum’s best friend, Loosie, and my dad – and investigates how they fuse the lines between style and identity. A specific creature, made up of the clothes their muse wears, represents the style of each of these people. I have communicated my idea by photographing the creatures in their natural habitats, in everyday settings with their muse. I arranged the photos to compare and contrast styles, and to demonstrate how these individuals naturally interact with their style.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Nick Cave (sculptor); Shaun Tan; James Mollison; Philip Pullman, Northern Lights; Louise Bourgeois; Wangechi Mutu; Yayoi Kusama.

Having migrated from the most populous country in the world, my intention was to investigate how modular architecture can be used to provide sustainable housing for growing populations. In my body of work hexagonal capsules, inspired by the efficiency of natural beehive structures, convey a new style of urban living. These modules, packed with living essentials, can expand in all directions to ensure maximum efficiency in use of space. To break the monotony of repetition, layers of hexagons are spread organically, resulting in a free-flowing structure representing urban metamorphosis and the vibrant life it harbours.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Kisho Kurokawa, Zaha Hadid.

My body of work examines ways of representing the many faces of an artistic identity. My portraits are of my key influences, both in my personal life and in the public artistic and literary spheres. My work is a form of self-portraiture which investigates the convoluted nature of introspection, conveyed by the unrefined aesthetic, the erratic diagramming and annotations. Making this work was an exercise in looking inward, into the very foundations of what comes to be a person’s unique creative self.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Julie Rrap, Body Double; Vernon Ah Kee; James Gleeson; Franz Kafka, A Hunger Artist.

My body of work is a self-portrait, an assemblage of miscellaneous sentimental artefacts representing childhood experiences and influences on my adolescent perception of the world. The set of drawers in my chest references Dali's The Burning Giraffe, conveying dormant echoes of my childhood and subconscious that compose my identity. Pointillist drawings expose imperfections in the texture of my skin, with each pore-like mark vulnerably unmasking the many experiences that have influenced my being. My work communicates both the sense of unease and instability of growing up, with its absence of control, and the optimism, vitality and wonder of entering adulthood.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Albrecht Dürer, Amy Fairleigh, Georges Seurat, Vernon Ah Kee, Colin Lanceley, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, Salvador Dali.

In my scientific-style etchings of a spider, butterflies and a swallow I examine the bold beauty of nature. My etchings don’t convey gender or judge the bright colours, just my fascination with the beauty in the markings, the intricate webs or iridescent feathers. My intention in my body of work was to investigate modern beauty through modern subjects, referencing the poses and representational style of traditionally ‘beautiful’ neoclassical portraiture. Each of my subjects is represented unashamedly wearing themselves in their body art – tattoos, piercings and clothing. In both cases, their outward appearance is also an expression of their non-binary gender identity.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, John Currin, Will St John, Gustav Klimt, Michaël Borremans, Bernard Palchick, Carlos Schwabe, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jacques-Louis David, Gustav Moreau, Liam Nunan.

Memory is a fragile thread, woven through time and place, connecting us to our past and shaping our identities. In my body of work, free-motion embroidery and cyanotype canvas prints make tapestries, conveying this construct of memory. Each stitch is a tactile, labour-intensive process that communicates the transient nature of memory. My intention is that the cityscapes and buildings represented will transcend their physicality so the work becomes a vessel for nostalgia and emotion. I invite the audience to reflect on the impermanence of memory and its power to anchor us to places and moments that define our self.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Sally Darlison, Amanda Hartland.

Each room in an abandoned house is a fragment of memory, holding the sense of loss and longing that permeates spaces once filled with life. Residual Rooms is a body of work that examines the lingering presence of past lives and experiences within domestic spaces. By painting interior scenes onto found objects, my intention was to convey the emotional residue left behind in spaces that were once inhabited, loved and lived in. The found objects carry their own histories, and by repurposing them as canvases I combine their physical stories with the imagined narratives of the interiors I represent.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Jonathan Alibone, Duke Riley, Gina Soden, Geoffrey Ansel Agrons, Vhils (Alexandre Manuel Dias Farto).

Toys are not merely objects; they are vessels for imagination, companionship and identity. My body of work represents the pop-culture icons of past and current generations: the teddy bear of the early 1900s; the ‘80s Cabbage Patch doll; my own toy horse for my generation; today’s all-the-rage Jellycat. Using the dark monochromes of graphite pencil to reference vintage black-and-white photography, my intention was for Beloved’s nostalgia and melancholy to prompt the audience’s introspection, and a visceral connection to the fleeting identity of childhood. The infantile imagination and selfhood we find in these common companions is simply what makes us human.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Louise Bourgeois, Mark Ryden, Mike Kelley.

My body of work, Urban Tessellation, uses the repeated patterns and distortions of architectural structures to investigate both the stark beauty of the urban environment and the malleability of the photographic artform. My artmaking practice of abstracting shapes, lines and patterns was developed through focusing on the close detail, with the intention of engaging the audience and challenging it to question the subject matter. In my research I developed my understanding of the Bauhaus design movement, leading me to appreciate a new style of architecture.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Max Dupain, Olive Cotton, the Bauhaus Movement.

Each of the pieces in my body of work, Shutter, is a photograph of light at a decisive moment. I used the technique of bokeh, a Japanese term to describe the effect of soft, out-of-focus dreamlike imagery, in a variety of landscapes so that my work is a collection of atmospheric, rather than realistic, representations.

My body of work examines the states of narcissism and echoism, based on the Greek myth of Narcissus and Echo. The cat represents a self-centred perception of the world, seeing everyone else as shadowy, with their faces blending into each other. The state of echoism is conveyed by the figure with a box obscuring their face as they believe they are so unimportant. The water imagery references Narcissus, who drowns in a lake as a result of self-obsession. My intention in my work was to illustrate the dangers of narcissism and echoism, where too much of either results in self-destruction.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Tim Burton.

There is a certain theatre to be found on public transport that is not appreciated nearly enough. My intention in my body of work was to elevate the ordinary by examining what I see on the Sydney train system. My work conveys how I see train rides: as fantastical, often dramatic, journeys that we partake in almost every day. I looked at the colourful characters catching these trains, representing them in operatic, science fiction, worlds which far better suit the occasion: their daily commute.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Moebius (Jean Giraud), Jamie Hewlett.

Growing up hiking through the Australian landscape, it became a familiar and comforting sight. My intention in my body of work was to take the audience with me as I immersed myself in the bush, breathing its air and sheltering in the canopy of aged giants and delicate undergrowth. I used charcoal to represent the strength and endurance of my experiences. I assembled my ‘bushscape’ from many smaller drawings, focusing on one glance at a time: sky flickering through dancing leaves, the gnarly wood of branches and tree trunks, the mossy rocks and mulch of fallen leaves beneath my feet.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Angus Fisher’s Parsley Bay, a finalist in the Dobell Drawing Prize 2022.

Space is limited aboard the SS Sisyphus. Fuel takes up the bulk of the vessel. The remaining mass is dedicated to keeping the spacefarers alive. For them, routine maintenance is a ritual. Attached to an umbilical cord they are nearly free. With nothing to see, memories of Earth blot the darkness … Space stares down, ancient and indifferent, a reminder that we are less than specks in its endless dark. Yet the spacefarers persists, for our tiny vessel Earth carries a reluctant crew of billions. Against our will, we are all spacefarers.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: JMW Turner, Caspar David Friedrich.

My body of work, Genesis of Creation, investigates the nature of artistic influence and the evolution of the creative process. My intention in using a hybrid of realist and surrealist styles was to examine how significant the spaces we inhabit are in shaping our identity, perspective and memory and how we represent them in our art. The works in this series are connected by my use of light, conveying the birth of inspiration. I invite the audience to see how the interplay between environment and creativity extends the artist's self, revealing new dimensions of their artistic identity and personal expression.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: René Magritte, Vincent van Gogh, Franz Marc.

Under the Fecund Moon represents the physical control of the moon over our natural world – the tides, the environment and life itself – as well as its metaphysical control over our imaginations. We are bewitched by both its albedo and its omnipotence. The moon’s gravitational lock with the earth inspires humanity's historic obsession with it. Though thousands of miles from our telescopes, it is one of the brightest celestial objects and a constantly underestimated force. Its energetic charge is especially potent within the enchantment of the full moon.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Roland Flexner, Stephane Levallois, Stephen Gammell.

My body of work, Threaded through history, investigates how the glorified triumphs of historical figures are manifested in the idea that ambition is the essence of our lives. My work challenges the contemporary stigma placed on individual lives of compliance moving towards mediocre social paradigms. Through my mediums of string and thread, my intention is to champion the fundamental notion that knowledge is the thing that intrinsically connects all humanity.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the artist Nemo Jantzen.

Song of Ceylon: The Imperial Marketplace references the 1934 documentary, Song of Ceylon, produced by the British-owned Ceylon Tea Propaganda Board. This was one of the earliest commercial tourism endeavours in Sri Lanka. The Ceylon Tea Propaganda Board was established to promote and romanticise Ceylon as a tropical paradise, with the purpose of exercising British power and increasing profits. The idealised imagery it used to commercially market Sri Lanka neglected the harsh realities and systemic mistreatment endured by the working population under colonial governance.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of traditional Sri Lankan photography.

Foreign Familiarity examines how the places and things we view in our childhood change as we grow up. Inspired by my childhood in Singapore, it is a nostalgic representation of the innocence of childhood and my loss of culture and memories in moving to Australia. I used bold, dynamic colours for the buildings and as a base, under the lighter tones of the sky and roads, with the intention of conveying the feeling of childhood brightness masked by our older perceptions of familiar landscapes. My body of work references Singaporean scenery but distorts it to communicate this change in viewpoint.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Izumi Kogahara, Lucy Jones, Jabbar Muhammad.

In today’s interconnected world, individuals from all corners of the globe form vibrant local communities. Immigration, social media and the ease of travel foster a variety of familial and communal bonds. My body of work investigates the rich tapestry of diversity and the often-invisible threads of connection that bind us. Each of the individuals in my work represents a blend of history and culture. Subjects trace roots back to Hong Kong, South Africa, Europe and First Nations of South Australia. I invite the audience to consider who fills the chair beside them and the unseen interconnectedness in their own lives.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Tyler Shields; Terry O’Neill, Faye Dunaway.

I am an advocate for giving guinea pigs a voice of their own through art. Guinea pigs are pets that are supposedly easy to care for. However, if they are injured, and people realise the effort required to treat their injuries, they are often abandoned into the many overflowing guinea pig rescues. My body of work represents how their bodies suffer the physical effects of unintentional harm inflicted on them due to misinformation spread by the media. This work is a tribute to guinea pigs unintentionally harmed through wrong advice, based on real x-rays that bluntly display their wounds.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Cj Hendry, Banksy, Ai Weiwei.

My body of work subverts the traditional expectations of film: instead of being a narrative, it investigates a series of moments. I photographed each moment in a setting unique to the characters to highlight their individual stories. While each fragment can be viewed individually, the overall work draws on the same cast of actors. Sylvia Plath used the analogy of figs on a fig tree to convey life’s many possibilities; my work is an homage to the paths not taken. This is further communicated by the burnt reels: like a lost film, they represent moments that are unseeable.

My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Wes Anderson, Cecil Beaton, Sylvia Plath.