VA Exhibition Catalogue 2025 by Barker College

An Anglican community inspiring every learner every experience every day

Vision

To be a leader in Christian education that is characterised by a global vision that inspires hope

Honor Non Honores

We acknowledge the Dharug, Darkinjung, Wonnarua and Yolŋu peoples who are the traditional custodians of the land on which Barker College, Darkinjung Barker, Ngarralingayil Barker and Dhupuma Barker stand. We pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging of the Dharug, Darkinjung, Wonnarua and Yolŋu nations and extend that respect to other Indigenous people within the Barker College community.

Introduction

It is a great joy to welcome you to this year’s HSC Major Works Exhibition. As always, the Bodies of Work presented here are the culmination of countless hours of imagination, dedication and perseverance from our Year 12 students.

This year, we see extraordinary breadth and depth in the works on display. There are compelling pieces in photo media that capture light, shadow, and the essence of fleeting moments. We are drawn into animation works built with sophisticated 3D modelling software, where technology and artistry meet to bring new worlds to life. Some students have created profoundly moving bodies of work that reflect upon the haunting memories of Dachau, ensuring that voices of the past are not forgotten. Others have painted with courage and conviction, exploring deeply personal connections - most poignantly, one artist’s identity as a proud Aboriginal woman, weaving her story into the canvas with truth and strength.

What strikes me most is the generosity of our students in sharing their creativity. They have opened their hearts and minds, inviting us to see the world through their eyes. These works are not simply objects of beauty; they are windows into lived experience, into memory, and into hope. These things are tangible evidence of the creative power that God planted in all of us:

May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his workshe who looks at the earth, and it trembles, who touches the mountains, and they smoke. I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Psalm 104:31-34

We extend our congratulations to each of our young artists for their vision and resilience. We thank their families, who have stood beside them, and our exceptional Visual Arts staff, who have guided, encouraged, and inspired them on this journey.

May this exhibition enrich you as much as it has inspired us.

Phillip Heath AM Head of Barker College

It

is with immense pride and excitement that we present the 2025 Year 12 Visual Arts Bodies of Work. For our students, this exhibition marks the culmination of months of dedication, creativity, and persistence.

It is a true privilege to now share their achievements with families, staff, and the broader Barker community.

Creating a Body of Work is no small task. Our students began with a single idea and, through rigorous exploration of materials and concepts, transformed it into resolved artworks. They researched, experimented, took creative risks, overcame challenges, and uncovered new ways to express their ideas. All of this was achieved while balancing the significant demands of their HSC year — a remarkable feat. I commend this cohort for their determination and congratulate them on producing works of skill and substance that they should be proud of.

The collection of works on display reflects a wide range of subjects and artistic interests. Each piece tells a story, thoughtfully constructed through composition, materials, and symbolism. These works offer us a glimpse into the diverse perspectives of our students and how they interpret the world around them. It takes courage to share one’s creative vision, and we celebrate their bravery in doing so.

This exhibition would not be possible without the incredible support and expertise of our Visual Arts staff. This year, our Year 12 teachers Mrs Elston, Miss Huang, Mrs Legend, Mrs Turner and myself have walked alongside the students with guidance and encouragement. We are also deeply grateful to Mrs Macdonald, Mr Ryan, and the entire Visual Arts faculty for their tireless dedication and support.

To the parents — thank you. You have been the constant source of encouragement throughout this journey, witnessing the triumphs and challenges, and helping our students reach this important milestone.

And finally, to our Year 12 Visual Arts students — we hope this exhibition fills you with pride and joy. May your artworks serve as lasting reminders of your creative journey at Barker, the friendships formed, and the ideas explored. We wish you every success in the exciting paths that lie ahead.

Rikki Latella Head of Visual Arts

2025 Exhibition Awards

S&S Wholesale Technical Merit Award

The Technical Merit Award is awarded by our sponsor, S&S Wholesale. The Technical Merit Award is given to a student whose Body of Work displays a sophisticated level of technical skill in a chosen medium.

Calindra Schmidt

Visual Arts Staff

Mrs K Elston

Miss S Gatti

Miss B Huang

Ms R Latella

Mrs J Legend

Mr A Love

Ms E Macdonald

Mr T Ryan

Mr N Staas

Mrs A Turner

Eckersley’s Artist Practice Award

The Artist Practice Award is awarded by our sponsor Eckersley’s and is given to a student who has developed their artist practice and produced a Body of Work that displays excellence in practice and clarity in concept.

Nicholas Skraem

Eckersley’s Art Ambassador Award

The Art Ambassador Award is awarded by our sponsor Eckersley’s and is given to a student who has embraced attending Art Access sessions and promoted the Visual Arts Department.

Peter Davis

Barker Foundation Peer’s Choice Award

The Peer’s Choice Award is awarded by the Barker Foundation for a Body of Work which is voted most popular by the Year 12 Visual Arts cohort. Each Year 12 Visual Arts student will be given one vote to nominate a peer whose work they deem their favourite.

Winner to be announced

Barker Foundation People’s Choice Award

The People’s Choice Award is awarded by the Barker Foundation for a Body of Work which is voted most popular by exhibition visitors. Voting is open for the duration of the exhibition.

Winner to be announced

My Body of Work is a visual exploration of the shifting terrain of girlhood with its adventures, small rebellions, unspoken loyalties and the search for stillness amid emotional noise.

Through layered acrylics and softened tones, I weave moments of friendship and fragility into adventures of familiar coastal spaces. Shared moments and physical closeness in the beauty of natural landscapes serve as anchors of memories and being. My intention is to invite the audience reflect on nature and connection, where growing up demands both solitude and the comfort of being truly seen in friendship.

Adventures of Girlhood Painting

Holly Bannigan

Small Life in the Big City

Joe Bernatek

My Body of Work explores the estrangement associated with urban life. Expansive cities reduce individuals to passing figures, stripped of identity and blurring into the masses.

By silhouetting my subjects in monochromatic tones, I erase personal details, emphasising their loss of individuality and sense of anonymity.

In many shots, I also employ tilt-shift blur for a miniature effect, framing the city as a confined concrete stage where human lives unfold briefly and indistinctly. Within the mass stage of the city, people become mere background noise- visible, yet unseen. A fleeting moment only a camera can capture. Through this series, I aim to invite you to reflect on the quiet erosion of self we so often overlook in our bustling urban existence.

Photomedia

Lumber:J4CK

Time Based Forms

Oskar Biggart

Nature has always been a place of escape for me, but with the continual advancement of AI, it seems that humanity controls and manipulates everything it touches. .

My animation LumberJ4ck is my exploration of both the beauty of nature and how AI could interact and appreciate the beauty in it. Created using 3D modelling software platform MAYA, the animation tells a story of a robot lumberjack as he faces the choice to side with the ever expanding and advancing humanity, or turn away and side with nature.

My Body of Work is an exploration of how building relationships improves personal experiences and helps shape who you become.

In Good Company is my exploration of people and relationships from different aspects of my life who have impacted who I am. The collection of moments illustrate emotional and physical connection, while celebrating the unique relationship I have to each person. My Body of Work serves as an acknowledgement and celebration of those who have created joyful experiences and opportunities for growth, all the while in good company.

In Good Company Drawing

Freja Callaghan

Paper Cut Timed Based Forms

Batu Comelek

Paper cut is a short film that scrutinises the hypocrisy and greed of extremist politics through a satirical portrayal of two self-serving students battling over the role of hall monitor.

Paper Cut features references to Nam June Paik’s experimental manipulation and layering of shots through combining shots and using comic-book style panels to explore this narrative in my absurdist tone. Further inspired by Stephen Chow’s use of clichéd character archetypes, I formed my characters as ignorant by theming them around the cliché childhood fantasies of pirates and ninjas.

Arbeit macht frei (work sets

you free)

Printmaking

Peter Davis

The intention of my Body of Work is to represent the memories held within the German concentration camp of Dachau, which was once the home for over 200,000 oppressed people.

My work brings light to the lost memory and traditions of the people that once lived and worked in the spaces, conducting their daily work. My series of prints represent their legacy in the landscape and buildings that once imprisoned them, layering prints with a strip of blue striped fabric chine collé as a visual reminder of their unjust punishment. Each line carved into the linoleum was a permanent mark, a reminder that what has been, cannot be undone.

My Body of Work seeks to instill in young readers an understanding of empathy, compassion, and respect for all forms of life.

The narrative promotes the idea that every creature- regardless of appearance, background, or perceived differencedeserves kindness and dignity. The visual style combines vivid watercolour with intricate pen detailing, creating a rich, textural aesthetic evoking allure and wonder. This interplay of colour and line mirrors the book’s central theme- that beauty is often found in diversity and complexity.

All God’s Creatures Drawing

Isla Fotofili

In the Big Little Things

Graphic Design

Luca Grace

My Body of Work encapsulates the ideas of children’s comfort through the power of imagination and the joy it brings to not just themselves but other around them.

For my work I have used digital tools to illustrate a storybook and given a reading to junior school students at my school. The main character Ernie comes homes from school one afternoon and ends up in unfamiliar and exciting new world of his imagination. He is transported to a prehistoric jungle on an adventure alongside dinosaurs. I was inspired by experiences of my own childhood and the games I remember playing.

In my Body of Work, Modern

Dragons, I explore the concept of dragons as they might appear in today’s world, blending ancient myths with modern day realism.

Taking inspiration from Scott Seven’s intricate ink and watercolour techniques, Greco-Roman mythology and Tetsuya Abe’s flowing one stroke drawing technique, my unique illustrations invite the audience to take a close look, not to take what they see at first glance. My paintings are paired with skeletal drawings of the dragons, inspired by old scientific drawings. Modern Dragons captures a sense of wonder and questioning, inviting viewers to question myths in the modern world.

My Body of

The Little Black Trackers

Painting

Jessie-May Hall

Work

The Little Black Trackers explores my identity as a proud Aboriginal woman. Growing up in a family of five siblings, my mother and artist Merle Hall created an illustrated book for each of us where each sibling is personified as a different animal.

These animals are central to my dot paintings, symbolising our unique identities and shared connection as a family. Additionally, I highlight the diversity of skin colour within Indigenous communities, emphasising that identity goes beyond skin colour, a stereotype that has developed over centuries. Heavily inspired by artists Holly Sanders and Lou Martin’s modern dot paintings, I also used vibrant dots and cultural patterns which aim to display the strength and resilience of my family and heritage.

My Body of Work explores humanity’s long-term impact on the ocean. It depicts marine pollution with life-size ceramic sculptures.

The work’s goal is to confront audiences with the reality of environmental destruction and encourage contemplation on our shared responsibility to maintain marine ecosystems. I utilised ceramics, a delicate medium, to represent the ocean’s fragility. Each piece is embellished with textures and marine features such as shells, barnacles to represent destruction over time, as the rubbish is progressively reclaimed by nature. My work was inspired by ceramist Courtney Mattison’s message of environmentalism in her art.

Cast Away Ceramics

Sophia Hitchings

eSKATEism

Graphic Design

Patrick Hopkin

eSKATEism pays homage to the vibrant graphic design of 1980s skateboarding culture, a time when skateboarding became mainstream and stickers became a key form of self-expression.

Inspired by Jim Phillip’s iconic designs and Dylan Moonie’s exploration of identity, I’ve created monster personas through the design of each sticker that reveal hidden aspects of a skater’s personality.

Each skateboard and the magazine reflect the individuality of five skaters. Four of those skaters I look up to and have grown up skating with Jacko, Jack, Mitch and James. I am the fifth skater in the series. I view skateboarding as a space for escapism, freedom and personal storytelling for people of all diverse backgrounds, no matter the gender. My work bridges 2D and 3D elements, offering a layered narrative of skate culture’s evolution and the power of self-expression.

My painting is divided into 16 plywood panels, depicting a photo I took in early 2024 between Newcastle Beach and the Newcastle Bogey Hole – a place I often visit.

I painted with acrylics and added a hand drawn map with watercolour pencils in the top third to highlight the locations geography and deepen connection with the place, inspired by Imants Tillers’ panel work. Influenced by impressionist painters, I focused on capturing the light, movement, and atmosphere of the scene through expressive brushwork and layered imagery.

The Bogey Hole – Newcastle Painting

Angus Hopkins

Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres -

Tell me who you walk with, and I will tell you who you are Time Based Forms

Elise Johnston

My artwork explores the disconnection between me and my culture growing up. If heritage is a key part of identity, how do I know who I am?

I chose a time-based format in low quality, at 10 fps to evoke the feeling of rewatching childhood videos. I subvert this nostalgia with its thriller found footage style, by lifting the exposure and grain, overlaying videos to create patterns, and the abstract plotline. My Peruvian culture is shown through the Incan necklace, music and sound choices, and Spanish title. I was inspired by Zahra Wiradilaga from Art Express, and how she had incorporated her culture in the work ‘Given or created?’

From Alone to Belonging

Photomedia

Jackson Keen

My Body of Work explores the journey from loneliness to belonging within a group. Using thirty-secondlong exposure photography, I have created light orbs through light painting, utilising Christmas lights as a tool.

The colour changes depending on the subject’s feelings, aiming to reveal how her interactions have influenced her emotions. To keep the human subjects clear, I have used the technique of a bright flash at the end of the exposure, illuminating a split second of the subject. I have been inspired by the photographer Peter Solness, with whom I have personally contacted to help develop my practice.

Old at Age, Young at Heart: Gran, Tigsy-Pop and Nonnies Printmaking

Tia Kennett

I have created a series of large-scale prints using lino printmaking to carve playful portraits of my grandparents Gran, Tigsy-Pop and Nonnies to bring to life their inner-child again.

With a pop of colour against black ink on white Stonehenge paper, I have explored the idea that aging does not mean becoming invisible, quiet or old in spirit. I have captured my grandparents’ personalities as a representation of the older generation but also the vibrant inner lives that persist beneath the surface. I want viewers to understand that aging doesn’t mean slowing down or fading away— it’s still a time to live boldly, fully, and unapologetically.

Destiny Dolls Designed Objects

Sacha Kudric

Destiny Dolls explores the unpredictable and challenging decisions people face when choosing a career path.

At its core is a universal dilemma - pursue a stable, conventional career or take a risk to follow your dreams? Inspired by Pop Mart’s Peach Riot, I use the format of blind boxes which are linked to chance and surprise. Each box represents a different career, from becoming a doctor for stability to chasing fame as a singer. Like life you can’t see what’s inside, reflecting how outcomes are often uncertain. Through this metaphorical fork in the road, Destiny Dolls invites audiences to reflect on their own aspirations, values and the role of chance in shaping their journey.

A Weight, A Burden Hard to Bear Photomedia

Maria Kulish

My Body of Work, is a psychological exploration of the physical and emotional experience of anxiety. Through a series of monochromatic photographs, I examine how anxiety manifests.

Inspired by video artist Bill Viola, I drew on the elements of fire, water, earth, and air to symbolise the chaotic, shifting nature of anxiety and its spiritual dimensions. Each image captures an emotional state, such as dissociation, entrapment, disintegration and panic. Inspired by photographer Francesca Woodman, these sensations are embodied through the expressive performance of my model, whose gestures and expressions convey fear, and distress. The accompanying short film represents the overwhelming intensity of a panic attack, an experience akin to the world rapidly collapsing inward.

To Be Time Based Forms

Alfred Kwan

In my artwork, I wanted to reinvigorate the idea of dreams, nostalgia and living. As we grow, we slowly lose parts of ourselves, our dreams, our aspirations, surrendering them for work and stability.

But it is that uncertainty and instability that makes us, “us”. By provoking viewers with the idea of rediscovery, I aimed to remind them of the malleability and freedom of imagination, encouraging them to embrace their dreams once again. Drawing inspiration from the whimsical storytelling of Studio Ghibli, I used Krita and Blender to craft playful, imaginative scenes filled with cartoonish imagery, encouraging viewers to reconnect with their dreams.

Till Death Do us Part

Till Death Do us Part captures the intimate, bittersweet journey of a lifetime of love, tracing the arc from young love to the quiet grief of loss. Using watercolour pencils, I explore the emotional tension between enduring love and inevitable separation, focusing on the fragility of time and memory.

Each drawing reflects the vulnerability and depth of connection between lifelong partners, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences of love and mortality. My Body of Work aims to resonate with those who have loved deeply and lost painfully, reflecting the importance of time together and the finality of goodbye.

Drawing

Marc Lambert

Inside Out explores the internalised and often invisible struggle of body dysmorphia in young males. Through high-contrast graphite drawings, I depict surreal and distorted representations of the body and mind, highlighting the emotional and physical tension caused by this condition.

A wooden box forms the core of the work, with fragmented drawings concealed within, visible only through a hole in the eye on its exterior, symbolic of how internal pain is hidden behind outward appearances. The external large-scale surreal drawing then expands the psychological landscape and together offers a raw, confronting visualisation of body dysmorphia’s inner turmoil.

Inside Out Drawing

Hugo Leim

Six Degrees of Separation

Drawing

Tom Leslie

My Body of Work explores the ideas that all people are connected by six or fewer social links, a concept known as ‘six degrees of separation”.

Through small detailed elements, I show how individuals are part of a larger, interconnected network. I reflect on the modernisation of technology and how it shapes our lives, health and relationships. Even though we are more connected than ever, people can still feel isolated or overwhelmed. Inspired by Martin Handford’s ‘Where’s Wally?’, I use crowded, playful scenes to highlight identity, connection and the search for meaning in today’s fast moving digital world.

Play Instinct Printmaking

William Lipman

I have created a series of complex prints using lino printmaking techniques to carve through the delight of a child exploring a place, a location, that is full of mysteries, trees and paths that a child might experience and revel in.

The main female character hides amongst each composition, almost jungle-like inviting my audience to experience a splice of colour through the rough interplay between line, and texture. Using my own photographs, I manipulated and transformed them using Adobe Photoshop to then carve and print. Influential artists include: Margaret Preston, Bruno Leti and Edward Bawden.

Fabricated Identity

Drawing

My Body of Work, Fabricated Identity, explores how the clothes we wear shape both our behaviour and sense of self, as well as how others interpret who we are.

Clothing becomes a psychological and social tool, able to empower or restrict, to express inner truths or conceal them behind socially constructed labels. I was inspired by the idea that, out of billions of people, each individual is psychologically unique, and that this complexity is often reflected in their clothing. Using realistic graphite drawings to capture the detail, texture, and structure of garments, I aimed to convey originality and individuality.

Andy Liu

Killer Reputation

Documented Forms

Lucas McSweeney

My work is a series of metal wire sculptures representing Australian native animals.

I twist, bend, and layer wires of varying thicknesses to create strong, expressive forms, using thick grey wire for structure and dark green wire for the eyes to maintain consistency across my pieces. My inspiration stems from childhood wire sculptures that sparked my fascination with transforming simple materials into lifelike forms. Influenced by artists like Ruth Asawa, Alexander Calder, and Gavin Worth, I explore wire as both a structural and conceptual medium. Through this work, I aim to celebrate and raise awareness for Australia’s wildlife.

Zara Mendonca

My Body of Work is a tribute to, and celebration of my Grandma Gilli’s life. Aspects of Gillian’s world have inspired my work with her determined personality and ongoing bravery throughout her lifetime, always ‘living life to the fullest’.

It is a series of works including graphite sketching and acrylic painting, taking inspiration from artists like Hector Gonzales and Edward Hopper to create realism artworks. Grandma Gilli endured a lot of hardships throughout her life but always managed to overcome it all, constantly keeping a contagious smile on her face. My intention for creating these works is to capture the kind hearted and courageous human being that Grandma Gilli was.

Grandma Gilli

Drawing

The Path Less Travelled; Winter at Big White Painting

Aria Miltiades

The Path Less Travelled; Winter at Big White is a series of textured paintings exploring the unpredictability of life through skiing as a metaphor.

Inspired by my time at Big White Canada, each painting reflects how, like a ski run, every life path is shaped by hidden turns and changing conditions. I use modelling paste to create texture and work over with charcoal to add shadows and highlights, echoing how skis carve snow and light falls across frozen landscapes. Influenced by artists such as Bozhena Fuchs, Werner Bronkhurst, and Matthys Gerber, my work also includes photographs taken through the perspective of my ski goggles.

My series of vibrant still life oil paintings represent multiple viewpoints of what it means to be a present-day teenage girl, in a society that emphasises social media, beauty products and a focus on appearance.

I aim to challenge my viewers to reconsider where value is placed by also depicting a deeper identity about females, showing symbolism of the love of sport, school and hobbies that go beyond the gender stereotypes. The deliberate size contrast reflects how much space and importance society gives to surface-level ideals, while more meaningful qualities are dismissed. Influential artists include Audrey Flack and Sari Shryack.

Look on the Inside Painting

Sophia Murray

Her Time is Now Graphic Design

Nelson

Her Time is Now is a series of digital illustrations that reimagine the lives of historically silenced women through a contemporary lens. Drawing on the stories of Boudicca, Mary Edwards Walker, Joan of Arc, and Emily Davison, I blend historical research with the identities, passions and aesthetics of four close friends.

These women act as vessels for retelling the past, linking personal strength to collective memory. Rather than presenting these figures as victims, I portray them as powerful and complex individuals whose stories deserve recognition. Influenced by the Art Nouveau style of Alphonse Mucha, my works use flowing lines, rich palettes, and symbolic detail to reclaim these forgotten voices and question who gets remembered and why others are left behind.

Scarlett

Beneath the Dream

Drawing

Aaron Newhouse

My Body of Work explores the dreamlike journey from childhood wonder to adolescent doubt, shaped by pressure, fear, and the unknown.

Each drawing reflects an emotional stage, hope, vulnerability, uncertainty, and quiet strength showing that even through struggle, hope persists. I used charcoal for its raw, expressive quality, blending with my finger to soften shadows, create emotional depth, and build contrast between light and dark. This process gave me a direct, tactile connection to the work. I was inspired by the emotional weight in Käthe Kollwitz and Henry Moore’s drawings, as well as the surreal storytelling of René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, and Max Ernst.

Flip Side Graphic Design

Hannah Oliver

My Body of Work takes the form of a double-sided magazine, with one side exploring conformity and the other rebellion.

My artwork has been inspired by the idea of conformity through art history and pressure to conform in a modern society as a young woman. I have explored this through consumer magazine stye with elements of graphic design to demonstrate modernity, but contrasted it with hints of artworks from movements where art was highly monitored. This format allows viewers to flip between conformity and rebellion, encouraging reflection on how rebellion can liberate individuals from the limitations of blind conformity.

The

Roots, Reverie and the World Within Painting

Finlay Parker

My Body of Work captures how your experiences and the world around you shape who you are.

Using acrylic paint in vivid colours I created a surreal triptych full of symbolism from around the world. Inspired by my personal experience growing up in Australia, I have incorporated recognisable elements of the natural landscape as well as classic Australian landmarks. The central figure is a blend between an ethereal mother nature and my own self portrait. I was inspired by capturing the elements of identity like artist Del Kathryn Barton and the whimsical illustrations of Hieronymus Bosch.

Fragmenting Avalon Beach

Photomedia

Ben Pegler

This artwork captures my personal connection to Avalon Beach, a place of growing up, finding peace and escape. Inspired by David Hockney’s joiner technique, taking my photography beyond the frozen moment.

Unlike a camera’s fixed perspective, joiners provide multiple vantage points of one scene at the same time, reflecting how we truly see the world.

In my work I have captured a passage of time, variations in light, tone and mood, where imperfections create realism. I’ve used this approach to map a fragmentation of Avalon Beach, by photographing and collaging shifting angles. My work moves beyond singular views to highlight the movement of the beach and ocean, reflecting constant flow through perspective and time.

My Body of Work aims to explore the encapsulated memories held within the spaces of my grandma’s home in Perth.

Using acrylic paints, I recreated snapshots of the house and garden, expressing memories of a childhood spent there. Each image depicts my own perspective influenced by my memories and imbued with the idyllic feelings I have of her home. The paintings vary in size, zooming in on smaller spaces, and showing fragments of a home well loved. I was inspired by Cressida Campbell’s intricate and intimate portrayals of domestic spaces, which echo the quiet beauty found in the everyday.

At Nana’s Painting

Georgie Phipson

Political Kingdom: A Parody of Power and Persuasion Drawing

Silas Pratt

Political Kingdom: A Parody of Power and Persuasion is a series of alcohol marker and colored pencil drawings that utilises a fable to critique political misinformation and media manipulation.

Inspired by Thomas Nast’s satirical cartoons and drawing from the pop art aesthetics of Roy Lichtenstein and Kendrick Cheung, this piece uses contrasting colours and styles to emphasize ideological division between political parties. The chaotic layering of the animals along with political propaganda imagery in the jungle creates a visual frenzy that alludes to the distortion of truth. Like wild animals, political parties and the media have abandoned the values of truth and decency in their quest for power.

The Sydney Royal Collection of Works

Katie Rajadhyaksha

My Body of Work explores the relationship between rural and urban Australia through the subject of the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

As someone who finds joy in being around farm animals and has a long-standing love for the Show, I was drawn to its unique role in bringing agricultural life into a city context. My series of hand-built ceramic pumpkins and acrylic paintings depicts key aspects of the Show, including livestock judging and produce displays, through which I aim to communicate the energy and significance of agricultural communities, celebrating how the Easter Show connects people, promotes understanding and bridges the gap between city and country. Influential artists include Lucy Culliton and Kate Malone.

The Garden we Grow Drawing

The Garden we Grow is a series of graphite drawings that celebrate four women who have profoundly influenced my life, each playing a vital role in shaping who I am.

Each portrait is paired with a carefully selected flower drawn in the style of a traditional 18th century botanical illustration. Each flower symbolises the unique physical, emotional and cultural qualities of each woman and captures the qualities I associate with each.

During the 18th century, when opportunities for women’s intellectual growth were limited, the study of botany became one of the few ways women could engage with science and education. With influence from the pioneering work of Elizabeth Blackwell, one of the first female botanical illustrators to achieve recognition, my pencil drawings invite viewers to reflect on the women in their own lives who have inspired them.

Elizabeth Rodham

Who I Am / Where You Are Painting

Calindra Schmidt

My Body of Work is a self-portrait; an autobiographical series of moments capturing how one’s physical environment, particularly the home, can shape your identity.

I aim to illustrate self-doubt, nostalgia, vulnerability, and contentment through a contemporary Impressionist lens, inspired by Hopper’s contemplative urban scenes, and Geiger and Cyrullas’ raw voyeuristic portrayals of domesticity. By experimenting with light and colour to evoke emotions and mood, each painting depicts a scene of people and places that have shaped who I am, from childhood memories to present day introspection. Ultimately, this series represents my search for beauty and meaning in the fleeting moments of loneliness, peace, and connection within our lives.

The City is My Playground

Design

My Body of Work explores the tension between personal freedom and institutional control through the lens of skateboarding culture.

As someone who skates regularly, I’ve experienced both the liberating expression it offers and the frustration that comes from constant surveillance, restrictions, and social misunderstanding. I created a series of grunge inspired digital posters with typographic, textural and photographic elements, layered and edited into a montage of urban imagery to reflect the raw, rebellious spirit of skateboarding. The work celebrates skateboarding as a form of resistance, identity, and creative freedom.

Graphic

Lucas Schreiber

Sophie Scott

Bunte Götter is a series of graphite and coloured pencil drawings depicting the Greek gods Hermes, Aphrodite, Zeus, Apollo, Artemis and Selene.

Sections in colour reimagine the original polychromy of Ancient Greek sculptures, often overlooked in modern interpretations of classical art.

Flower motifs symbolically linked to each god’s mythology highlight their individual narratives while grey tones unify the series, reflecting both the marble appearance and the modern perception of antiquity. Inspired by German archaeologist Vinzenz Brinkmann’s research and his Bunte Götter exhibition, I explore the vibrancy of ancient sculpture. I was also influenced by Italian artist Luca Pignatelli whose work merges classical and contemporary imagery, informing my approach to reinterpreting the ancient world.

Bunte Götter (Gods in Colour) Drawing

Unobtanium: The Illusion of the Australian Dream Drawing

At its core, ‘The Australian Dream’ held home ownership as the ultimate staple of success. However, the detachment of this dream has accelerated (However, the attainment of this dream seems unreachable).

Using pen, I illustrated the varied housing landscape of Australia as a gradient within the confines of an imaginary vehicle, a symbol for directed movement.

Iconic architecture dominates the vehicle’s frame, presenting an aesthetic illusion of prosperity. Underneath, its powerful engine contains many unique parts, which, through machinery and pipes, feed into the relics of previously accessible houses characterized by their distinct architecture and spaciousness. Yet, as time progresses, the pipes of the engine detach from the newer houses, which stack upward, malnourishing them from the character, quality, and luxuries they once had.

Nicholas Skraem

Connections (Pèng)

Collection of Works

My artwork explores identity as a synthesis of form and spirit, reinterpreting shan shui philosophy by merging traditional Chinese aesthetics with contemporary realism.

The title Connections (Pèng) is derived from a move in mahjong with a double polysemic meaning of “to touch”. This links with the purpose of my work and the game of mahjong as the game itself is first and foremost about social connection while my work is exploring the connection between family, tradition and personal identity. Inspired by Liu Dan’s realism and Zheng Zeduan’s classical forms, this work navigates the space between inherited tradition and personal transformation, embodying my dual cultural identity.

Kevin Sun

Echoes of Eternity Drawing

Chris Thompson

My artwork explores the spiritual and cultural symbolism of ancient Egyptian birds. The ibis (wisdom), vulture (transition), and falcon (vision).

Representing timeless values now threatened by environmental and cultural decline. Inspired by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Ed Ruscha, I used fine pens on Stonehenge paper to create a hand-drawn book that tells a symbolic story. Starting in grayscale and gradually transitioning into vibrant colours to show time passing, each page combines Egyptian motifs, fonts, quotes, and bold imagery. By bridging past and present, the work serves as a call to action, preserve both these birds and their deeper meanings.

My work investigates the divide between the unseen inner self and the visible outer persona to make both aspects visible, particularly the oftenhidden internal world.

By splicing and manipulating portraits to duplicate the figure, I explore the duality of identity and the tension between what is shown and what is felt. Inspired by photographer Jeff Wall’s domestic settings, I use familiar home environments. These settings ground the work in relatable, everyday spaces and reflect the private, introspective realms of the subjects. Through muted lighting and carefully composed imagery, I create a contemplative atmosphere that evokes themes of isolation, vulnerability, and self-reflection.

Portraits of The Unseen Photomedia

Toby Tonge

Architecture of Belonging Ceramics

My Body of Work is a series of ceramic architectural sculptures exploring memory, identity and belonging.

Inspired by my experiences growing up in Hong Kong, the UK and Singapore, I project a split-screen video onto the sculptures, layering old photographs and memories tied to specific places.

As light shifts across the textured clay, it distorts the images, echoing how memories can fragment, fade and reform over time. Through stamping, carving, and sculpting, I’ve embedded symbolic motifs drawn from each country’s architecture and visual culture. Influenced by Natalie Rosin’s textured forms and Colby Parsons’ projection-based ceramics, my work reflects how memory and place, the physical and intangible, come together to shape our sense of home.

Poppy Wildblood

Charred Emotions

My Body of Work refers to how emotions are conveyed through the figure. It was inspired by the Renaissance period and their interest in the human figure.

It is displayed as triptych of large-scale drawings using the expressive qualities of charcoal. There is a subtle change in pose as each figure depicts feelings of despondency, melancholy and anguish. The figures have exaggerated veins around the arms and are fading away at the legs, to emphasise the evocativeness of the image. I aimed to engage the audience emotions when viewing the work and draw them into the narrative of the subject.

Drawing

Ben Wormald

Exitless symbolises the psychological burden of isolation, alienation, and loneliness through stark uninhabited urban spaces.

Corridors, stairs, and tunnels become metaphors for the subconscious-spaces of endless decent, transition and disconnection.

The absence of figures excluding one distant silhouette, intensifies emotional estrangement, suggesting isolation as a constructed, enduring condition. Light becomes a fragile symbol of hope, overwhelmed by the intensity of shadow. Each 12 works, crafted in tonal graphite, invites the viewer into a silent world where human presence is seen with no humour or soul. This Body of Work visualises the unseen architecture of loneliness-engineered, imposed and internalised in the modern psyche.

Exitless Drawing

Helena Wymer