Upper Sixth artists showcase creative growth with their Work in Progress Exhibition

Last week, our Upper Sixth artists presented their Work in Progress Exhibition, an opportunity to pause, reflect, and take stock of their creative development. The exhibition marks an important milestone in their artistic journey: a moment to evaluate ideas, experiment with materials, and refine their intentions before moving towards the completion of Component 1: Portfolio.

Two of our students, Daniel (FH5) and Ben (CH5), have each explored the broad and deeply personal theme of identity with exceptional depth and individuality.

Daniel’s work examines culture as a living, shifting force, fluid yet rooted, both liberating and limiting. Through painting, sculpture, and printmaking, he investigates the tension between belonging and individuality, drawing inspiration from artists such as Hayao Miyazaki, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, and Louise Bourgeois. His recurring motifs of red, veins, roots, blood, symbolise the ties that connect us to heritage and history, while his use of mixed media reflects the complexity and ambiguity of cultural identity itself.

Ben’s expressive portrait series delves into the psychology of the self, reinterpreting the Seven Deadly Sins through texture, colour, and emotion. Influenced by Francis Bacon and Jenny Saville, his paintings move beyond realism to capture the tension between façade and mind, exploring how the human face can both conceal inner turmoil and reveal flashes of vulnerability and truth.

This exhibition stands as a celebration of curiosity, reflection, and artistic growth, qualities that lie at the very heart of creative education.