TALENTED BEYOND HER YEARS

SEIDEL

On our third day of the tour, students were treated to a visit to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures where we met some prehistoric friends and a variety of local animals. We then ventured to Palm Cove for a quick beach break and ice cream. The evening was topped off by a combined performance with the QYO Big Band and Australian-born international saxophone superstar Mike Rivett.

The tour continued to provide wonderful performance opportunities with the Innisfail Community Big Band, Balaclava State School, Hemingways Cairns and the Aveo Retirement Village. Students were also treated to a trip to Sugarworld Adventure Park, Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome High Ropes course, Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail.

By far our most rewarding visit and performance was to Yarabah State School where we met with the students for a concert and the opportunity to gift the community with a selection of instruments to re-spark the Yarabah Band program. We hope our donation helps to bring music back to life at Yarabah.

After 10 days on the road, students and staff returned to Brisbane to unpack and enjoy a well earned Christmas holiday break. A huge thank you to Ms Saffery, Ms Chou, Ms Milner, Mr Jacobson and Mr Pradella for supporting the students and assisting to make such a wonderful opportunity possible.

Ting Jiang has engaged in Visual Art from a very young age. Currently in Year 10, her skills and creativity have flourished during her time at St Peters. Initially, Ting worked with gouache, but she soon challenged herself to work in acrylic and oil on canvas. This transition proved a turning point, sparking a passion for controlled tone, colour and portraiture. Today, Ting finds great joy in painting self-portraits and family members, skillfully conveying warmth and connection through her art.

In a conversation with Ting, she generously shared insights into her artistic approach.

Why do you love painting and how important it is to you?

Painting is an extended process that I stretch over a few weeks, sometimes a month. It’s something that I can turn to whenever I feel the need to take a break from my schoolwork and reality. I not only paint for myself, but I also share and express through my artworks with the aim of reaching out to other young artists and the wider audience through my exhibition opportunities. Having been an artist for a long period of my short life, I believe I have found my purpose through art.

Most of your work features family members. Is this a theme you intend to continue?

My artworks reflect my values and past experiences. Family has always been an important value of mine, thus it is a recurring theme in my work. Relating my paintings to my family makes it is easier for me to form a connection with the image and delve deeper into the meaning behind it. It is a theme that will definitely feature in my future works.

How does the experience of displaying your work in exhibitions influence you as an artist?

The opportunity to exhibit my paintings across Australia has brought me great satisfaction as I see my artworks acknowledged by larger organisations and the art community. Through meeting and talking with people who share the same interests, I feel more connected to the community.

Do you have any advice for fellow Visual Art students?

As a young student, I wasn’t always enthusiastic about sitting at my easel and drawing, practice was forced. Yet, I still maintained consistent practice through the completion of countless studies - colour studies, 3D shape studies, anatomy studies, still life, floral and sculptural realism. In the end, it all paid off. I still have a long way to go in perfecting my technique, but for now, I will keep practising, one study at a time.

Recent achievements:

Category Winner: Lutheran Church of Australia Qld District Art Competition

First Prize Youth 2 Section: Aspects Art Show, Goondiwindi

Finalist: Little Darlings Portrait Prize 2023, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra

Finalist: The Lester Prize 2023, Perth

Winner: Next Gen Brisbane Portrait Prize 2022

"Her articulation of her experiences as an immigrant and ability to communicate a sense of muteness through imagery displays a level of sophistication beyond the artist’s years." - Jenna Baldock, BPP Next Gen Judge.