IB Art virtual exhibition | Artist Q&A with Bowen year 13

As part of their final IB art portfolio, three of our year 13 pupils have created a virtual art exhibition. Angelina, Vivian and Bowen invite our community to explore their evocative and personal pieces that can still be shared in spite of the current constraints. Thank you to kunstmatrix.com for providing them with a platform to show and curate their work. The below links will take you to their virtual exhibitions: Bowen also took some time to discuss his art and its importance as well as a reflection on his time at Wellington, as he, like his peers, prepares to take the next step into university life. How much of an effect has art had on you during your time at Wellington? What would you say your main artistic influences are? Bowen: Art has been a major part of my Wellington experience, though my interest in the subject began much earlier. I have always been fascinated by movies and cartoons, including traditional animation created by the likes of Studio Ghibli and Disney. There are also many illustrators, concept artists, and cartoonists – like JJ Grandville and Shaun Tan – who serve as a major source of inspiration for me. I am amazed by the creativity and technical skills that they used to create their imaginative fictional characters and sceneries. Similarly, I am also greatly inspired by the artist Tim Burton, whose style is extremely imaginative and more than a bit eccentric. It is also a style that has stuck with me throughout my artistic endeavours here. After I came to Wellington and started doing art as one of my IGCSE courses, our project led me to do more research on different artists, including Tim Burton. This is what made me realise that he is an excellent artist as well as a film director. How would you describe your experience of the IGCSE and IB years here at Wellington? Bowen: If I’m being honest, during my IGCSE years, working in a classroom along with so many talented pupils made me a bit jealous of their technical skills and perhaps this was one of the reasons that motivated me to practise and improve my art. Fortunately, I always had great help and advice available. Similarly, when I started the IBDP, my art teachers were very supportive throughout the course. They  made the seemingly gruesome IB curriculum quite a fun and enjoyable experience overall. My teachers also responded very positively to my preference towards Tim Burton’s quirky style, which really encouraged me to continue to make art.

Botanic Monster by Bowen▼

Can you tell us about the IB exhibition you have created with your peers and what it means to you? Bowen: It has been an incredible experience to put together a visual art exhibition as part of my final portfolio for the course. The exhibition itself includes drawings and artworks of various styles. There are realistic portraits as well as cartoonish illustrations in order to demonstrate my personal style as well as technical skills to the IB examiners. The sculpture "Botanic Monster" is one of my favourites, as it was originally going to be just a 3D replica of my piece "Imagination station". However its conceptual meaning has changed over time as I worked on it. I am quite proud of this work since this is the first 3D art piece that has managed to survive. All my other works either exploded in the kiln or their glaze turned completely black for some reason! What are your future plans as your time at Wellington comes to an end? Bowen: Now that the dust has settled from the applications process, I am delighted to have been accepted by The Rhode Island School of Design, The Pratt Institute in New York, the New York School of Visual Arts and a number of other great schools. Even though RISD is technically a higher-ranked art school, I chose SVA in the end because I prefer the idea of living and studying in New York. I am looking forward to indulging in a lot of different musicals on Broadway! While education is vital, I also think that personal preferences are just as important when deciding such a big step in your life. After all, college is going to take at least three or four years of your life, so it would be nice to find somewhere you genuinely enjoy being, rather than just a place to get an education and nothing else. I think that this is perhaps even more important when trying to find a job in a creative industry, as an artist's portfolio probably matters more than which school they went to. Originally, I was thinking about doing an Illustration major. However, I later discovered that SVA also offers a major in cartooning, which is exclusive to that school. I decided to go with that after I got accepted by SVA. I'm not really 100% sure about what I will be doing in the future. Perhaps I will be a graphic novel artist or a concept artist for movies and games. Anyway, I still have so much to learn, so for now that is what I’m focused on, and the future will bring whatever it brings.   More relevant articles： Year 13s secure another year of outstanding offers We are Wellington | The value of open-mindedness, Emmie year 13 We are Wellington | The importance of developing character Although our campus is currently closed to external visitors – you can still take a look round via our new virtual tours. Our admissions team is readily available to answer any questions you might have and to guide you through the application process.  Please do get in touch. admissions.shanghai@wellingtoncollege.cn