A Level

from British School of Bahrain Art Catalogue 2023

Maryam Al Hashemi Age 18 Bahraini

Art is a subject and hobby that lets me express myself through shapes, different art styles and the use of contrasting colours; bright and colourful, dark and mysterious. Of all the art styles I have experimented with, hyper-realism was my favourite style. With hyper-realism I am able to create fine details that make the painting look 3-Dimensional. As a hobby, I like to paint landscapes, however, as a subject in school, painting glass (reflections) and buildings was something I enjoyed. I was able to show all of the intricate details, and create dimension through the layering of objects.

“Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do.”

Age 18 Bahraini

Art has always been constant in my life, amidst all the chaos and the changes that surround me, art has always been my safe space, something I never changed, something I could always go back to; a haven. As cliche as it sounds, I have truly been drawing ever since I could hold a pen, as if it was the missing piece to a puzzle, it completed me. Taking Art GCSE and A-Level was a no brainer, I had a goal of transforming a mere hobby into a career. I wanted to grow not only in my art but also as a person, and I can confirm that art truly shaped me into the person I am now. Both Art GCSE and especially Art A-Level pushed me out of my comfort zone; which was quite frightening for someone who never felt brave enough to explore different art styles thus I prefer realism. Something about having clear structure and rules made it easy for me to paint. I am thankful to my father who pushed me to become a better artist and supported me every step of the way and to my mother who sat with me hours on end, helping me and guiding me through the difficult times.

“Anything that you try and you don’t succeed, if you learn from it, it’s not a failure.” - Bob Ross

Age 17 Bahraini

Art has always been a part of my identity as a passion, talent, and kind of escape from reality. My skills and style have evolved during the past two years of studying A-level art. I’ve found myself in challenging situations where I had to step out of my comfort zone to employ techniques, materials and topics that felt foreign to me. My second topic, meat and bones, presented the most obstacles. Artists like Chaïm Soutine, whose concept is linked to expressing emotions onto paintings of raw flesh, made me discover ones that are related to my own work. I've used Victoria Reynolds' painting techniques to look at the whole subject from an alternative and alluring perspective, and am pleased I came across this topic and learned skills I never realized I had. My final project, flowers, oddly enough was a pleasant journey considering it my exam topic. I prefer to work with harmonious colors and present surreal paintings. I’d like to thank my family, peers, and Mrs. Prinsloo for the endless support and encouragement throughout the years.

Berglund

Age 18 Swedish

“If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.” - Edward Hopper

I have always liked to express myself through creativity and art is a great way to keep your mind calm and relaxed. I have learnt so many new techniques and ways to create art after these two years, I would never have imagined myself being where I am today. My favourite type of artwork are sculptures. Artists such as Fenella Elms and Tadashi Kawamata really inspire me to create more, I love the detail and precision they put into their work. Art has always been an emotional rollercoaster but at the end of the day I will always remember it as something positive I looked forward to. I want to thank Mrs Prinsloo and Ms Pardoe for the support we got and the motivation to always keep going.