ARTEXPRESS 2024: Exhibiting artworks by NSW Year 12 students

Meet some of the selected students and take at look at their exceptional work submitted for assessment during the 2023 HSC.

James Nguyen

Castle Hill High School

Artwork title: ‘Self portraits’

Described as “moody and distorted”, James has put an emphasis on capturing intense, dark tones in order to physically confront audiences with changing depth and contrast.

“I’d always thought artworks with very dark values had such an intriguing appearance and wanted to create similar works to those,” he said.

“I was also inspired by the works of Juul Kraijer who similarly incorporated the use of deeply dark values which surrounded a single portrait subject within her works.”

Mr Nguyen wants to keep visual arts as a hobby and a way of expression as he enjoys drawing in his free time.

Alfio Cavallaro

The McDonald College

Artwork title: ‘Eyes wide shut: society’s underbelly’

Alfio has described his artwork as an exploration of the sad reality of the modern world, and explores social issues that are often overlooked in society.

“The monochromatic palette of my drypoint etchings personifies society’s penchant for oversimplification and a wilful disregard for the prevailing state,” he said.

“Our deliberate choice is often to ignore the grey areas in life, as the average individual is often unaffected by these issues.”

His work was inspired by a school trip to New York City and the beautiful architecture and famous landmarks, but also the significant social issues of overpopulation, poor air quality, homelessness, environmental degradation and increased crime rates.

“Through my body of work, I hope to prompt the opportunity for individuals to recognise the tragic state that our world now currently resides in and the need for change,” he said.

Adam Menezes

Katoomba High School

Artwork title: The absence of torment

Adam’s piece depicts an imagined world where the biological and mechanised have been fused together into something new and unrecognisable.

“I was motivated by all the news we get about how our environment is degrading as a result of human activity, specifically industrialisation and pollution,” Adam said.

“If we keep going the way we are, soon there will be little of the wholly natural world left.”

He said he has always enjoyed previous ARTEXPRESS exhibitions and believes it’s a “huge honour” to be selected this year.

Alison Giai Hue Huynh

Fairvale High School

Artwork Title: The profound cognitive effects of looking up. An artwork in disguise

“As many buildings are now modernly renovated or created through the minimalistic lens, the attention towards a buildings interior architecture constantly amazes me,” Alison said.

“With each building having their own unique interior, it was almost as if they each had their own personality and history within those structural elements.”

Alison said that by adding in sentences and words that reflected the motion of “looking up”, it encouraged the audience to do the same to admire environments they find themselves in.

Alyssa Cavallaro

Aquinas Catholic College

Artwork Title: Menai Chiese e cattedrali

Alyssa’s artwork is a collection of drawings showcasing the rare remains of old world architecture, and highlights the beautiful detail left by past civilisations.

“My inspiration was founded by my dislike of modern architecture, which persuaded me to capture the intricacy and detail of buildings of the past that our new world is quickly forgetting,” she said.

Honoured to be included in ARTEXPRESS, Ms Cavallaro is now starting university to pursue a career in psychology, but said she will still also continue her passion for art through commissioned works.

Anna Le

Santa Sabina College

Artwork Title: Histrionically me

Anna’s work consists of three large-scale drawings using pastel pencils, with drawings of two subjects representing a particular theme that alludes to their personal form of self-expression, including sport and recreation, and celebration.

The drawing of a 70s cord telephone symbolises the strong connection between people and the things that hold value to them.

“By purposefully using props from different eras of time, I have used elements of nostalgia and modern popular culture to represent the joy sparked from childhood for a carrying audience,” she said.

Her work has been inspired by Jen Nelsons’ mixed use of photography and painting, which explores the experience of adolescent self through the vibrant colours and choice of texture, and Tim Storrier’s self-portrait, ‘The histrionic wayfarer’.

“This has been such a surreal and satisfying experience because Visual Arts was one of, if not my favourite subjects in Year 12, that was a break from my other subjects,” Anna said.

Corvette O’Keeffe

Xavier High School, Albury

Artwork Title: The art of persistence

Aligning with the mythology of the phoenix, Corvette’s paper sculpture is formed by a fusion of technology and handicraft practice, representing the persistence and determination required to overcome.

“Accomplishments are often born from the ashes of hardship and adversity, consequently we are reborn stronger on the other side,” she said.

“The sculpture was inspired by Jeff Nishinaka paper sculptures and Cai Guo-Giang gunpowder art works.

“I have embellished the cut paper surface with burnt and etched statements from a range of well known individuals, such as Thomas Edison and Nelson Mandela who, despite their struggles, have overcome and persisted through life’s challenges.

“Their words, many who inspire myself, serve as a model for the audience to strive for.”

Cristian Varvakis

Marist College Kogarah

Artwork Title: Whispers of light and noise

Describing his selection as a “dream come true”, Cristian’s work is seen as “surreal and eclectic”, a video element also created in a “surreal, dreamy like form” – the way he experiences the world.

“The works use visual disturbances to represent the anxiety and isolation related to the experience of visual snow syndrome,” he said.

“The butterfly expresses the movement from adversity to resilience within the visual chaos.”

Cristian’s inspiration is his own personal journey with visual snow, intended to demonstrate the beauty within the disorientation of visual snow, while challenging perceptions of normality, vision and reality.

After school he will pursue a career in graphic design, illustration and video production/editing.

Crystal Chen

North Sydney Girls’ High School

Artwork Title: When majesty falls to folly

This artwork is a series of eight ceramic vessels that merges Asian antiquity with neoliberal climate.

“My art is a satirical inversion of this symbol of luxury as I parody the medium to illuminate the modern overindulgence evident in tweets and pop culture,” Crystal said.

“Through the revival of dynastic pottery that is fused with imagery from media, my series ultimately speaks to the decadence that has immersed our ways of life.”

Inspired by Robert Rauschenberg’s commentary that “the artist’s job is to be a witness to his time in history”, she also pays homage to the vast histories of Chinese porcelain, a medium that was reserved for the upper echelons of society.

“Within a world dominated by fast-paced technologies and media, these influences inspired me to incorporate elements like tweets, logos and pop icons into my series, furthering the notion that my work speaks to my time and context, a rapid world teeming with false idols, (excess) and decadence,” she said.

Ella Shield

St John’s College, Lismore

Artwork Title: The presence in your absence

Ella believes her artwork captures the bittersweet realisation that comes from the long journey of grief and the idea that even though we have lost someone, their presence still resides in the familiar spaces of everyday life.

“In my work, I showed this through the use of shadows and light,” Ella said. “Whilst the light may not depict any physical form, the shadows remind us that they were and are still present.”

Her inspiration hails from her own images of her childhood home with her brother and the sad passing of both parents.

“My mother was one of my main supporters. When she passed, I knew I wanted to keep doing art – even though I knew she wouldn’t get to see it anymore,” Ella said.

“I don’t know a lot of people my age who have had the same experiences as me. I definitely don’t think I’ll ever stop doing art.”

Elyse Pulbrook

The Jannali High School

Artwork Title: Cast in memory

Elyse sees her work as a physical encapsulation of memories surrounding her childhood home, depicted entirely out of liquid latex casts.

“I am constantly inspired by the exploration into the concept of identity, and the aspects that moulds an individual’s identity,” she said.

“I was also heavily inspired by the work of Heidi Bucher’s, and how she uses latex in her art.”

Elyse said she was shocked to see her art hung in such a highly esteemed gallery, “especially given my artwork’s uncommon medium”.

Emma Simpson

Mosman High School

Artwork Title: Second glance

Described as rich in the colours of Australian nature, Emma’s artwork aims to illuminate the unusual beauty of Australian flora, inspired by what she sees while bushwalking.

She also examines the “compositional idea of two” in her work, which is an unconventional compositional approach, through a symmetrical linear arrangement of dried leaves, tree-bark and banksias.

“I was interested in the remarks typically made only to plants that bloom,” she said.

“Stereotypes about beauty perpetuated through art have inhibited the appreciation of the ‘ordinary’ and ‘imperfect’, making the invisibility of common objects a recurrent theme throughout the past few centuries.”

While Emma is keen to pursue art casually, her main interests are in science.

Gene Richards

Normanhurst Boys’ High School

Artwork Title: Still escaping life, still killing time

Gene has described his works as an exploration of maturity and change that escape mechanisms through an experience of life.

He has pulled from personal forms of entertainment via various childhood toys, video-games and finally music.

“From a medium perspective, it’s a soy-based ink lino-print on English and Korean newspaper, which I definitely planned out from the beginning,” he said.

“The main inspirations behind it were to make a work that was personal to me, whilst something that everyone my age could identify with, through placing various well recognisable media references throughout the work, notably ‘Kai’ from Lego Ninjago, the ‘Peashooter’ from Plants vs. Zombies, the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Charli XCX’s ‘Pop2’, Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ and a T-shirt of KISS.

“Also I couldn’t not mention the still life works in general, and specifically Ricky Swallow’s ‘Killing Time’ giving the main form to the work itself.”

George Alkhoury

Bossley Park High School

Artwork Title: Clamorous incognito of the unconscious mind

“My artwork delves into the profound impact of war and displacement on the human psyche, drawing from my personal experiences during the Syrian conflict,” George said.

“Through sculpted forms, I aim to encapsulate the depths of the unconscious mind, symbolising the concealed and tumultuous aspects of our inner world.

“The malleable nature of clay allows for tactile engagement, mirroring the ever-changing dynamics of thought and emotion.”

His inspiration stems from first-hand encounters with the ravages of war and displacement, drawing from the chaos and turmoil experienced during the Syrian conflict, and influenced by artists such as Albert Tucker, Arthur Boyd, Michael Lang and Jérôme ‘Trez’ Oudot.

“I feel deeply grateful for this opportunity to share my story and advocate for awareness of humanitarian issues,” George said.

Georgina Pechan

Pymble Ladies’ College

Artwork Title: Stori blong yumi (our story)

This work is a deeply personal representation of the history of “blackbirding”, which has left a mark on Georgina’s family.

“My great-great-grandmother Mini was one of the countless victims of this dark chapter, her story echoing through the generations,” Georgina said.

“It is her experiences, resilience and enduring legacy that compelled me to delve into an artistic exploration of blackbirding.

“My work not only honours the memory of those who were blackbirded but also contributes to contemporary discussions surrounding justice and recognition for the descendants of those who were blackbirded, the South Sea Islanders Community.”

While sharing her family’s story, Georgina aims to enrich audiences’ understanding of blackbirding through the collection and sharing of stories with elders, to convey the importance of oral history and raise awareness of this harrowing trade.

Jonathan Jones played a significant role in shaping her creative vision, and provided both inspiration and a framework for engaging with issues of identity, heritage and social justice through art.

Gianne Lois Magcalayo

Penrith High School

Artwork Title: Schrodinger’s litterbox

Gianne’s work is described as a “trash paradox” between bold colours and blurry shadows.

“This crude thought experiment shatters the rules of superposition, peeking into a reality where contradicting states of life and death can, in fact, coexist while being observed,” Gianne said.

Her inspiration came first in a fascination with shadow and light and the coinciding implications about the fleeting nature of existence.

“But it all came to a head when my teacher posted a half-hearted challenge to include his cat somewhere in our work,” she added.

“Needless to say, as an over-thinker with limited knowledge of Schrodinger’s Cat theory, lines were connected.”

Grace Pun

Bonnyrigg High School

Artwork Title: Samsasa of masks, a slow resistance, a journey’s departure left with gratitude

Grace said her main intention was to express how grateful she was not to spend the last years of high school in lockdown, and be able to enjoy the freedom of going outside and seeing her friends during the chaotic Covid pandemic.

“I had an idea to create Chinese scrolls with a blend of Western outlook, because I thought it was a cool idea that would complement my art style of graphic digital drawings,” Grace said.

“When the topic of the ‘world’s impact’ was mentioned, I thought about depicting the first scroll to metaphorically show how people were struggling during the pandemic and the ongoing global chaos everyone was going through.

“The main focal point of the tied up girl should convey how I was not okay during the stages of online learning, so that’s why the laptop and the flowers were included.

“The second scroll has the water filter bottle sucking the girl’s head, as it depicts how ridiculous the whole fighting and mobbing chaos happening in Australia (was), especially in Sydney, (and) had to include the police and people arguing about masks rules.

“The third scroll, the outside setting, should obviously depict the time when restrictions got slightly lifted and how we were all trying to restore our normal lifestyle routine.”

She wanted to express to young people especially that the pandemic was not a long ago tragedy, but remains a problem today.

Holly Ludman

Tempe High School

Artwork Title: See it from my perspective

Holly’s artwork is an exploration of the stress in her life and that of people around her.

“It’s a charcoal realistic drawing that emphasises the frailty of the human skin, to exemplify the fragile mindsets of individuals, and uses warped perceptions to demonstrate the distorted reality that anxiety imposes,” she said.

Holly drew inspiration from the pressure of high school, where her work showcased the impact of stress on teenagers’ mental health.

As Year 12 proceeded, she changed her idea and focused on anxiety after experiencing an episode during the HSC.

“I became fascinated with the artists Dylan Eakin, Douglas McDougall, Michael Zavros, Alison Lambert and Josh S. Rose and their use of charcoal,” Holly said.

“I was most inspired by Cristina Troufa’s warped perception paintings, which encouraged me to alter my perspectives and instead create a warped reality depiction through charcoal.”

Holly said it had always been her goal to have work in the Art Gallery of NSW.

Ingrid Mansfield

Burwood Girls’ High School

Artwork Title: Alone together

Ingrid’s artwork consists of a series of 14 paintings and captures the scenes of city life with people going about their routines, seemingly unaware of each other’s presence.

“Through these pieces, I explore the theme of isolation that exists within the busy city environment, despite the close proximity of individuals,” she said.

“My work is deeply influenced by the themes of isolation and loneliness found in the works of Edward Hopper.

“His pieces frequently cast the viewer as an outsider, observing intimate moments without context to the lives and identities of the individuals depicted.

“I sought to echo this approach in my own work, as I believe it reflects the disconnect often experienced between individuals in cities, where people go about their lives oblivious to the other lives going on around them.”

Isabella Warland

Wyndham College

Artwork Title: Cerebellum

Isabella describes her work as a chance for others to follow her on a visual journey through her mind.

Her inspiration is the connection shared between humans and animals, focusing on the overlapping similarities shared between all living beings.

“The truth is when humans are stripped down to their primitive state, there is nothing separating us from animals,” Isabella said.

She was “extremely shocked” when preselected for ARTEXPRESS and didn’t believe it.

“When I was officially selected I was ecstatic, I felt a sense of pride,” she said.

Jack Symons

St Ignatius’ College Riverview

Artwork Title: School of thought

An explosion of vibrant contrasting colours, patterns, forms and characters, Jack has been fascinated and passionate about art and animation since he was a four-year-old.

His artwork emphasises the concept of “school” as a place of learning, focused on educating the mind, but also as a place of conformity and compliance.

“I was inspired to explore the joy and freedom of creativity, and to ignite the imagination with an explosion and celebration of vibrant colour and characters,” Jack said.

“I wanted to create a controlled chaos that invited the audience to challenge their assumptions about school, and explore the mystique of human creativity.

“Being courageous in the creative process allows individuals to be who they are, instead of being like everyone else.”

As Jack matured, he became fascinated by animation and storytelling, and will now study animation production at UTS College.

James Doak

Cherrybrook Technology High School

Artwork Title: Latte – art in the everyday

James’ artwork is a fun animated spin on the idea that the art of our everyday world is just as magnificent as the works we put in galleries and museums.

As a cup of coffee comes to life, it travels through the city finding aesthetic artworks that often go unnoticed, until reaching the AGNSW and finding harmony between the everyday and the adored.

“I was inspired by my love of latte art and artists’ creation of foam characters,” James said.

“I also took inspiration from our school’s previous trips to ARTEXPRESS and the thin divide it exposed between ‘regular’ artists and those being exhibited.”

Jayden Peter

Warners Bay High School

Artwork Title: My sentinels

Jayden’s artwork consists of three surreal sculptures concealing many signs and symbols that reflect his personal interests, hobbies and childhood memories.

“I would describe my artwork as a means for me to capture these qualities, so they are never lost and forgotten, through my own ‘Sentinels’, who stand to protect and preserve these important aspects of my life,” Jayden said.

“These factors could not have been as strong without the support from my teachers, as well as my friends and family … all of which provided the initial inspiration to create my artwork.

“I was further inspired during my process by Calvin Ma, who established relatable themes in his artworks.

“I wanted to create my artworks that not only shared my personal beliefs, but ones which could be relatable to the audience as well.”

Jessie O’Rielly

Pittwater High School

Artwork Title: Inattentional blindness

Jessie’s artwork consists of a series of landscape paintings that examine the natural beauty of the untouched environment, and how greenery brings life into colonised areas.

“I constructed seven small works with gouache paint that hold great detail to express the extraordinary features found all through natural landscapes,” she said.

“Through being exposed to the beauty of these natural landscapes, we can reflect upon the ever-changing world and accept that these natural environments are becoming more rare to find.

“My inspiration was purely to express the way I view nature, hoping to inspire others to cherish it as much as I do, and to represent what people don’t have time to appreciate and take in.”

Now studying interior decorating and design at Sydney Design School, Jessie is hopes to one day start her own design business as well as display and sell paintings.

Kai Myrmell

Barker College

Artwork Title: Addictive personality

Kai’s artwork is a criticism of social media and its effects on his generation.

“It’s supposed to be quite unsettling and capture the idea of self-distortion that people can feel from social media, as they care (so) more about their digital identity that they lose touch with their real self,” he said.

“My inspiration behind my work was seeing how social media has impacted my generation and, more personally, my friends and people I know.

“I know a lot of people that spend so much time on social media that they care more about that than spending time in the real world.”

Kai’s artistic influences include Francis Bacon and Adam Neate.

“I’m very keen to pursue a career in visual arts but in a slightly different field than normal visual arts,” he said. “I’m currently studying video game development and majoring in art and hope to pursue this into a career.”

Kendrick Cheung

Killara High School

Artwork Title: Urban metamorphosis

Kendrick’s creation is a mixed media artwork that explores the rapid cultural changes and the modernisation of the West and the East in New York and Hong Kong.

“It communicates a century of cultural development and urbanisation, emphasising the journey that has led to the present moment,” Kendrick said.

“During Covid lockdown, similar to many others, I have spent a lot of time on social media, especially spending countless hours scrolling through Instagram reels.

“It was during that time that I came across an artist named David Ambarzumjan and his artwork involves painting a large glob of white paint over his hyper-realistic oil paintings of cityscapes.”

With his mixed cultural background, living for 14 years in China, Hong Kong and currently in Australia, Kendrick said he was determined to express his interest and relationship with different cultures.

Krovanes Niko

Clancy Catholic College

Artwork Title: O le a fuga mai (come into bloom)

Krovanes’ artwork delves into the complicated connection she has with her culture and the domino effect into other aspects of her life, such as gender.

“I have had a somewhat complicated relationship with culture throughout my life, however in the course of maturing, I delved into many of its aspects to resolve who I am, truly allowing myself to bloom,” she said.

“O le a fuga mai expresses a message to others who struggle with disconnection from their roots; there is not always a singular or linear path but one with a multitude of roots from different parts of your life.”

Krovanes used photo-media for her body of work to represent a raw, intimate connection, inviting the audience to resonate with the experiences and emotions of her growth.

Kya Stawski

Corpus Christi Catholic High School

Artwork Title: When you were born

Kya’s artwork is a series of oil paintings on wood that aim to portray very simple, mundane, soft, intimate and insignificant moments that are often overlooked in modern life.

“The photographs recreated are from almost 18 years ago, where the content is revisited with a warm nostalgia and longing for a time under-appreciated in the moment,” she said.

“By recognising these everyday moments, my artwork critiques our modern perspective on what moments we give value to, urging us to find the existence of these moments in the present, before we see them only in hindsight, bittersweet, and forgotten.

“I’ve always had a soft spot towards notions regarding nostalgia, sentimentality, memory, relationships, and the beauty in the everyday, small things in life.”

Kya draws inspiration from artists such as Jess Allen, Noah Saterstrom, Nicolás Uribe, and Karen Offutt.

Mana Sugimoto

Marist Sisters College Woolwich

Artwork Title: My porcelain dolls

Mana’s work is like a big stash of ceramic trinkets, where everyone can find a treasure of their own.

Shiny and colourful, it is filled with her fondest memories.

“It’ll make you want to shrink in size to look at it closer,” Mana said.

“Craft kits, plush toys, and miniature dolls from my childhood. It also includes some hints of my favourite TV shows, music and other hobbies.

“I was also heavily inspired by artists Mechelle Bounpraseuth and Yoshitomo Nara, as well as the heartwarming novella, The Little Prince.”

Mana said the ARTEXPRESS opportunity has given her the final push and confidence to pursue a career in the visual arts field.

Olivia Phoon

St Andrew’s Cathedral School

Artwork Title: Hazy recollections

Olivia’s artwork has been described as a conceptual exploration in the notions of memories, relationships and the passage of time.

“In this way, I hoped for it to come across as reminiscent of a distant yet familiar past, possessing an ambiguity that facilitates audience interpretation and response,” Olivia said.

“Primarily centring around the notion of memories, my artwork is generally inspired by how these are lost, both in the passage of time and the process of ageing.

“I was particularly interested in how stories and experiences can be lost to temporal rifts, leading me to my exploration of my paternal grandmother’s photographic albums, the pictures of which most of my individual pieces are based on.”

Sarah Carroll

Loreto Normanhurst

Artwork Title: Monozygotic

A physical manifestation of the strong companionship shared with Sarah’s identical twin sister, Lizzie, the work is inspired by the uniqueness of their relationship.

It also represents larger psychological questions around the dynamics of such a close bond between twins.

“Being identical twins, it’s rare to find others that share not only this bond but the strong companionship we have fostered between ourselves,” Sarah said.

“This strong companionship has led us to nurture the differences between ourselves, another element of our relationship I wanted to showcase (so) as to challenge the common idea that identical twins are clones of one another, when in fact our individuality becomes quite prominent when you get to know us.”

Sienna Salvato

De La Salle College, Cronulla

Artwork Title: Please Miss, not everyone loves Shakespeare as much as you!

Sienna’s work represents the age-old story of students not always sharing their teacher’s passion for the classics.

“I asked members of our drama class to model Desdemona and Othello for the portraits, encouraging them to ‘ham it up’ so I could create a whimsical take on the idea of a Shakespearean tragedy,” she said.

“My work was heavily inspired by the real lived experiences of HSC students. Teachers are so excited by classics like Shakespeare, and try to share that enthusiasm with their students, however, with the stress of the HSC, something like Othello is often viewed as just another task to overcome.

“I sought to comically capture this dichotomy in my work. Through this exploration, I aim to spark conversations about the ways in which education can bridge the gap between traditional curriculum and the lived experiences and interests of contemporary students.”

Sienna has started a Bachelor of Design and a Bachelor of Education, intending to pursue a career in visual art and TAS teaching.

WHERE TO SEE ARTEXPRESS 2024

The Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney: on now until 21 April, visit artgallery.nsw.gov.au

Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Sutherland Shire: on now until 7 April, visit hazelhurst.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au

Tamworth Regional Gallery, Tamworth: on now until 28 April, visit tamworthregionalgallery.com.au