Henry Wise Wood Student Work Gallery
The vision for this exhibition is to explore a person’s image in comparison to who they truly are, and blur the lines between fiction and reality, as fiction has a significant impact on my life. Oftentimes, individuals only express the positive aspects about themselves to others, due to the fear of judgment. I intend to make the audience reflect on the people in their lives and decide whether they really know them as well as they believe they do. I would also like viewers to consider themselves—in particular, the characteristics and thoughts they choose to conceal from society. As a fictional writer, I aimed to convey how I merge personal experiences and thoughts into made-up stories in subtle ways. Artworks like Take My Money contain symbols that are both fictional and reflective of myself, but I keep this unclear to give viewers a chance to form their own assumptions about my true self, and find means of relating themselves to my art.
Animals are used in three of my artworks, which depict optimistic themes, while the majority of my works with humans are deliberately flawed. This portrays how humans have hidden traits that make them deceitful, while animals are much easier to understand. Vibrant colours were used in animal artworks like Exotic, which have simple compositions, while my human-focused works like Flying Blind contain natural and dull colours and are cluttered with symbolism. The reason for this is to mix symbolism from my fictional writing, along with personal flaws and beliefs that I do not want to reveal directly. Subtle symbols allow the audience to make assumptions about the inner workings of my mind, and the inclusion of fiction is to throw them off, so that in the end, I am the only person who truly understands myself. Take My Money and Quarter-life Crisis both explore the themes of materialism and regret. They have cluttered compositions to encourage the audience to come to deeper understandings of the influences those themes have on the artist and their own lives. I use colour to convey meanings, such as the blues in Limitless that represent serenity and freedom. The majority of my works are 2D and use smooth brushstrokes of paint in an effort to appear photo-like, so viewers can imagine them as photos of settings and people that could exist in real life, and thus, better connect with them. Paint is my medium of choice, as it allows me to blend shades realistically to achieve a photo effect, as seen in the shadows and highlights on the horse in Limitless.
At the beginning of the exhibition, the audience sees four pieces—Exotic, Cosmic Adventures, Limitless, and Minutiae—on the left side that clearly depict my ideal image, as I shared memories of a school trip and my dog, along with an optimistic outlook on life. On the adjacent wall would be Quarter-life Crisis in a crooked frame with a pristine top portion and distress on the bottom to enhance the work’s main idea of facades versus reality. Beside this, Take My Money would be stood upright on a desk with the sculpture in front of it. A chair would be available at the desk for people to view the painting at eye-level, almost as if they were looking out a window at a real setting, thus merging fiction and reality. The right side displays Deranged and Fault Lines, as they show hidden truths and flaws clearly breaking through, and both pieces begin the complete unravelling of the mind that follows with the final three artworks. Flying Blind would be arranged like a real detective’s office to immerse viewers into the world it takes place in and convince them that it is a reality. A clothesline displaying the Quarantine Blues photographs was to connect Flying Blind to a projection of Catharsis. The photographs would be small to force people to study them closely, as they represent some of my nihilistic views that I do not often express. Finally, Catharsis is my concluding piece, as it expresses the idea of finally becoming sick of portraying oneself as perfect, and simply accepting one’s genuine, flawed self.
Animals are used in three of my artworks, which depict optimistic themes, while the majority of my works with humans are deliberately flawed. This portrays how humans have hidden traits that make them deceitful, while animals are much easier to understand. Vibrant colours were used in animal artworks like Exotic, which have simple compositions, while my human-focused works like Flying Blind contain natural and dull colours and are cluttered with symbolism. The reason for this is to mix symbolism from my fictional writing, along with personal flaws and beliefs that I do not want to reveal directly. Subtle symbols allow the audience to make assumptions about the inner workings of my mind, and the inclusion of fiction is to throw them off, so that in the end, I am the only person who truly understands myself. Take My Money and Quarter-life Crisis both explore the themes of materialism and regret. They have cluttered compositions to encourage the audience to come to deeper understandings of the influences those themes have on the artist and their own lives. I use colour to convey meanings, such as the blues in Limitless that represent serenity and freedom. The majority of my works are 2D and use smooth brushstrokes of paint in an effort to appear photo-like, so viewers can imagine them as photos of settings and people that could exist in real life, and thus, better connect with them. Paint is my medium of choice, as it allows me to blend shades realistically to achieve a photo effect, as seen in the shadows and highlights on the horse in Limitless.
At the beginning of the exhibition, the audience sees four pieces—Exotic, Cosmic Adventures, Limitless, and Minutiae—on the left side that clearly depict my ideal image, as I shared memories of a school trip and my dog, along with an optimistic outlook on life. On the adjacent wall would be Quarter-life Crisis in a crooked frame with a pristine top portion and distress on the bottom to enhance the work’s main idea of facades versus reality. Beside this, Take My Money would be stood upright on a desk with the sculpture in front of it. A chair would be available at the desk for people to view the painting at eye-level, almost as if they were looking out a window at a real setting, thus merging fiction and reality. The right side displays Deranged and Fault Lines, as they show hidden truths and flaws clearly breaking through, and both pieces begin the complete unravelling of the mind that follows with the final three artworks. Flying Blind would be arranged like a real detective’s office to immerse viewers into the world it takes place in and convince them that it is a reality. A clothesline displaying the Quarantine Blues photographs was to connect Flying Blind to a projection of Catharsis. The photographs would be small to force people to study them closely, as they represent some of my nihilistic views that I do not often express. Finally, Catharsis is my concluding piece, as it expresses the idea of finally becoming sick of portraying oneself as perfect, and simply accepting one’s genuine, flawed self.
Exotic (October 2019)
Oil paint on canvas
40.5 cm x 30.5 cm
This painting was inspired by an interaction I had with a parrot while on a field trip a few years ago. The bright colours used in this piece represent the feeling of excitement associated with this memory. I aimed for realism with the parrot, using textures to create the feathers and details as accurately as possible. The background is the stylized aspect of the work, as I wanted to maintain my semi-realistic art style, and show how surreal the experience was by adding an unrealistic quality.
Oil paint on canvas
40.5 cm x 30.5 cm
This painting was inspired by an interaction I had with a parrot while on a field trip a few years ago. The bright colours used in this piece represent the feeling of excitement associated with this memory. I aimed for realism with the parrot, using textures to create the feathers and details as accurately as possible. The background is the stylized aspect of the work, as I wanted to maintain my semi-realistic art style, and show how surreal the experience was by adding an unrealistic quality.
Cosmic Adventures (November 19th, 2019)
Acrylic paint and mixed media on wood panel
46 cm x 52 cm
This piece commemorates my dog’s personality by placing him in a resort on Mars. The bright colours and simple, cutesy composition expresses the innocence and friendliness I relate to dogs, while the Mars setting displays their childlike nature. The mixed media helps draw the eye to every area of the work, as I wanted it to be seen as a full setting with no single focal point. This piece was my attempt to stray away from my usual semi-realistic style by exploring a much different cartoon style.
Acrylic paint and mixed media on wood panel
46 cm x 52 cm
This piece commemorates my dog’s personality by placing him in a resort on Mars. The bright colours and simple, cutesy composition expresses the innocence and friendliness I relate to dogs, while the Mars setting displays their childlike nature. The mixed media helps draw the eye to every area of the work, as I wanted it to be seen as a full setting with no single focal point. This piece was my attempt to stray away from my usual semi-realistic style by exploring a much different cartoon style.
Limitless (March 3rd, 2020)
Acrylic paint on canvas
91 cm x 76 cm
The theme of water—seen in the background—was used to portray life, as it is something all living things need to survive. I aimed to display my outlook on life, so I used a horse as the main subject and a bright blue-green palette to capture a feel of free-spiritedness and serenity. Horses symbolize freedom, ambition, and desire. Thus, I combined water and a horse in this painting to imply the importance I see in chasing passions without being limited, and not taking life too seriously.
Acrylic paint on canvas
91 cm x 76 cm
The theme of water—seen in the background—was used to portray life, as it is something all living things need to survive. I aimed to display my outlook on life, so I used a horse as the main subject and a bright blue-green palette to capture a feel of free-spiritedness and serenity. Horses symbolize freedom, ambition, and desire. Thus, I combined water and a horse in this painting to imply the importance I see in chasing passions without being limited, and not taking life too seriously.
Minutiae (April 6th, 2020) Photography 15 cm x 20 cm The intention of this piece is to remind people of the beauty in common things that go unnoticed, such as eyes. Minutiae refers to the fine, trivial details in something. These close-up photos capture the unique colours and patterns within a person’s eyes, which are often overlooked on a daily basis. People tend to describe their eyes as being one colour, but they fail to appreciate and notice the minor details in their irises that differentiate them from others with a similar eye colour. |
Quarter-life Crisis (March 14th, 2020)
Watercolour on paper
35.5 cm x 28 cm
This piece tells the story of a woman obsessed with appearing perfect to society, when in reality, her life is falling apart. She values materials over relationships and real joy, which is seen in the clutter below the table and the dull colours. Above the table represents her image of affluence in bright, warm colours, while below it, it is clear that she cannot preserve what truly matters to her. Her loss of control is shown in the dead rose petals and vines trying to drag her into a void.
Watercolour on paper
35.5 cm x 28 cm
This piece tells the story of a woman obsessed with appearing perfect to society, when in reality, her life is falling apart. She values materials over relationships and real joy, which is seen in the clutter below the table and the dull colours. Above the table represents her image of affluence in bright, warm colours, while below it, it is clear that she cannot preserve what truly matters to her. Her loss of control is shown in the dead rose petals and vines trying to drag her into a void.
Take My Money (April 3rd, 2020)
Acrylic paint and clay on canvas
46 cm x 61 cm and 25 cm x 11.5 cm x 2.5 cm
This piece features a dystopian scene with a man outside a shop and a sculpted wing. Dull colours are used to enhance the overall sombre and regretful tone. I aimed to express my belief that the world will become materialistic in the future, as well as capture the feeling of regret by telling a story in which a man cut off and sold his wings, only to regret this upon realizing that the money he gained had less value than his wings, which he could never get back.
Acrylic paint and clay on canvas
46 cm x 61 cm and 25 cm x 11.5 cm x 2.5 cm
This piece features a dystopian scene with a man outside a shop and a sculpted wing. Dull colours are used to enhance the overall sombre and regretful tone. I aimed to express my belief that the world will become materialistic in the future, as well as capture the feeling of regret by telling a story in which a man cut off and sold his wings, only to regret this upon realizing that the money he gained had less value than his wings, which he could never get back.
Deranged (January 6th, 2020)
Acrylic paint and mixed media on canvas
42 cm x 46 cm
This piece shows the process of someone losing their mind. The monster reflected in the eye depicts insanity, as monsters don't exist in real life, yet the person sees one. Its mischievous expression serves to mock the person, convincing them that they are losing their grip on reality. The glass frame exhibits the clarity of the mind, and it is neatly symmetrical to show the mind's intactness. The paint and marbles obscure the glass, showing how the person's mind becomes muddled by insanity.
Acrylic paint and mixed media on canvas
42 cm x 46 cm
This piece shows the process of someone losing their mind. The monster reflected in the eye depicts insanity, as monsters don't exist in real life, yet the person sees one. Its mischievous expression serves to mock the person, convincing them that they are losing their grip on reality. The glass frame exhibits the clarity of the mind, and it is neatly symmetrical to show the mind's intactness. The paint and marbles obscure the glass, showing how the person's mind becomes muddled by insanity.
Fault Lines (May 2019)
Acrylic paint on canvas
30.5 cm x 40.5 cm
The vines tearing through the woman's skin in this painting represent the things she wishes to keep hidden, such as flaws and pain, finally exposing themselves for all to see. I wanted to capture the vulnerability of a person who is forced to hide the parts of themselves that aren't so perfect, and how they can only hold everything together for so long before they come undone. The brightly coloured flowers blooming from the thorny vines show that there is some beauty in the woman's catharsis.
Acrylic paint on canvas
30.5 cm x 40.5 cm
The vines tearing through the woman's skin in this painting represent the things she wishes to keep hidden, such as flaws and pain, finally exposing themselves for all to see. I wanted to capture the vulnerability of a person who is forced to hide the parts of themselves that aren't so perfect, and how they can only hold everything together for so long before they come undone. The brightly coloured flowers blooming from the thorny vines show that there is some beauty in the woman's catharsis.
Quarantine Blues (March 29th, 2020) Photography 9 cm x 13 cm These photos were created as part of a collaboration depicting the experience of self-isolation. The blue theme represents loneliness, despair, and defeat, which are feelings many—especially the graduates of 2020—have become familiar with. Each photograph captures the struggles of going through the motions of every day, trapped indoors, with the constant reminder of all the important events that are no longer happening, the dashed hopes, and the lost time that can never be recovered. |
Flying Blind (January 22nd, 2020)
Watercolour and mixed media on wood panel
62 cm x 81 cm
In this interactive artwork, the viewer takes the place of a detective, and their job is to solve a few questions using the clues hidden within the investigation board. My aim was to show the personas of my story characters in illustrations, but also draw viewers into their minds and world to convince them that these characters could exist in real life. I wanted to blur the lines between fiction and reality, so I turned my writing into something tangible that others can see and interact with.
Watercolour and mixed media on wood panel
62 cm x 81 cm
In this interactive artwork, the viewer takes the place of a detective, and their job is to solve a few questions using the clues hidden within the investigation board. My aim was to show the personas of my story characters in illustrations, but also draw viewers into their minds and world to convince them that these characters could exist in real life. I wanted to blur the lines between fiction and reality, so I turned my writing into something tangible that others can see and interact with.