North Coast

Title: Reflections on the Past
Medium: Painting
School: Immanuel Lutheran College

Artist Statement:
The medium of acrylic on canvas was used to effectively capture the intricate and realistic details needed to portray the concept of the artwork using reflection. The development of the final artwork was accomplished using trial and error with the original photograph taken and the reflection, which was produced, this image was then transferred to the canvas and then underpainted to map the image, make the colours brighter and prevent the white canvas from showing through.

Title: Fragmented Moments
Medium: Mixed-media. Digital etching prints and resin on ply board
School: Siena Catholic College

Artist Statement:
Fragmented Moments examines the transient nature of the modern world through a personal and cultural context. Using digitally etched prints developed from my photographic record of people in Brisbane city, I attempted to capture the static moments of time. The ambiguous, blurred images of figures moving through the city scape were created using selective inking, wiping and multiple plate printing. The raised floating boards, repetitive display and torn prints, represent the unpredictability of time. A unifying layer of resin to peer through, encourages the audience to question how they experience time in a modern world.

Title: Specular Disclosure
Medium: Installation
School: St Andrew’s Anglican College

Artist Statement:
From childhood to adolescence to adulthood, dreams and aspirations are constantly evolving to reflect not only an individual's true desires, but the pressures and expectations of the culture and time period in which they are formed. Childhood dreams are full of hope and ambition—however, as children grow older and enter contemporary society, their wants become more driven by fear and other’s expectations. Specular Disclosure aims to let the audience ‘shine a light’ on my own window of psychological development, referring to stages of Freudian and Lacanian theoretical psychoanalysis. The UV layer and direct audience interaction explores the unseen psychological depth of these thoughts regarding the future. Visual Art practice acts as a coping mechanism—my 'objet petit a' dealing with the ever changing, occasionally frightening nature of modern society.

Title: 80 reasons for Dissociation
Medium: Printmaking
School: Immanuel Lutheran College

Artist Statement:
80 reasons for Disassociation explores the reasons that can cause separation between members of society, friends, family and partners. Using the motif of postal stamps, it conveys separation and connection of written letters, whilst still addressing the question: 'How can thoughts and beliefs separate people?' Each singular postal stamp is slightly different, with a different depiction of separation. Different sizes and frames are used to suggest narratives which depict many experiences of separation. All of which are individually unique, they show beliefs and thoughts that have come from through life experiences. The use of the single letter image, juxtaposed with the set of 80 prints— creates a tension, which further describes separation.

Title: The Scourge
Medium: Video
School: Coolum State High School

Artist Statement:
My major work The Scourge at its core is a short film about the self-destructive nature of loneliness. Within my film the main character is seemingly haunted and cursed by a masked entity who essentially resembles everything bad. Throughout the film’s run time the main character slowly begins to lose body parts due to a curse put upon him by the entity that represents the idea that loneliness is all consuming. I decided to explore this film through a purely personal context as I wanted to communicate something that could be interpreted in many ways and therefore be able to create a wider sense of relatability through the audience.

Title: Framed
Medium: Installation
School: Nambour State College

Artist Statement:
The artwork Framed depicts the wastage of food that our society contributes through mass consumption. The work portrays broccoli and turnips and casted in alginate and plaster of Paris, a traditional sculptural material. The multiple replicas have been installed in circle formation. Food waste is the most our most common waste product in Australia, therefore I have included vegetables that weren’t liked by many people, being broccoli and turnip. The timber golden lustre frame connects with traditional art history reinforcing the capturing moment in time, whereby artist use discarded and unwanted objects in their artworks.

Title: Holly
Medium: Painting
School: Nambour State College

Artist Statement:
As you grow up the happiness you have changes and evolves. The work Holly is a representation of my sister. She wears a onesie as symbol of childhood playfulness, which is juxtaposed with her expression of blankness, like she has just woken up to a reality of less colour and wonder that surrounds her. This is a normal phenomenon and the work encourages viewers to embrace these changes as part of growing up and becoming aware of the world around you. The unicorn is a symbol of purity and innocence, for which I encourage you to connect with as you enjoy the playfulness of this work.

Title: *untitled*
Medium: Video
School: Sunshine Coast Grammar School

Artist Statement:
I daydream a lot. It’s common to see me spaced out, vacantly staring at something imperceptible in the distance. It’s those brief moments of disconnection where I find myself at peace most – all thoughts of the past and future have no place in the fields my mind wanders. What I should do, what I’ve done, where I should be, where I’ve gone – none of that matters. Away from the struggles of life, I live for myself. It’s a selfish exploration of myself and the world around me. I think, because of that, I find the world as wonderful as it is. Removed from stress, I take it all in—the colour, the movement, the life of the world. Engaged in a dialogue with the world, I feel so awake, so alive when I daydream. Featuring music of the same name by WillyRodriguezWasTaken, *untitled* is an expression of those indescribable feelings.

Title: The Hairbrusher
Medium: Installation
School: Caloundra Christian College

Artist Statement:
In the modern age, it seems that everything needs to be kept. Photos, videos, chemicals and computers: all serving our innate desire to preserve the everyday. And yet, should we save what is not worth saving? When it is easier to save a billion little things than it is to throw them away, how does that affect the things that really matter? Fear of decay condemns us to keep; this installation is a response. The audience is encouraged to perceive both the artwork and their own face in the mirror, establishing a link between the painting’s gaze and their own. They can also inspect the small jars of my hair, considering the absurdity of storing such frivolous detritus. Do not be controlled by such sentimentality.

Title: Remnants of Identity: Mrs and Mrs Johnson and the Sisters Dorothy, Anne and Margaret
Medium: Installation
School: Chancellor State College

Artist Statement:
Remnants of Identity: Mr and Mrs Johnson and the Sisters, Dorothy, Anne, and Margaret delves into the fragmented nature of memory and the enduring influence of gender roles. The collaged, disjointed figures of Mr and Mrs Johnson symbolise the scattered and incomplete way memories persist, reflecting how the past continuously intrudes upon the present. The sisters, Dorothy, Anne and Margaret, with their retro-style collaged bodies and movable arms, illustrate how personal histories and gender roles have been manipulated and reshaped over time. Together, these elements serve as metaphors for the fluidity of memory and the ongoing reconstruction of identity.

Title: The Cassowary Effect
Medium: Drawing
School: Matthew Flinders Anglican College

Artist Statement:
At 14, a visit to a wildlife reserve in Cairns introduced me to one of the last 4,000 remaining cassowaries. This encounter highlighted the crucial symbiotic relationship between the cassowary and the cassowary plum, where each depends on the other for survival. As a keystone species the cassowary is vital to the survival of over 200 plant species, while the cassowary plum relies on the bird to spread its seeds, as it is too poisonous for other animals to consume. Through realism and vibrant colours, my work encourages viewers to reflect on the potential extinction of a single species and its far-reaching impact on an entire ecosystem.

Title: Know who you are at every age
Medium: Painting and augmented reality
School: St Andrew’s Anglican College

Artist Statement:
Know who you are at every age delves into the complex relationship between race, cultural heritage and identity. I have lived removed from the cultures and traditions of my ancestors and as a result have become estranged from the origins of my cultural identity. The work utilises black-and-white and negative spaces to evoke feelings of isolation and disconnection. Representations of women reference parts of my Japanese, Nigerian and Malaysian ethnic identity and cultural heritage. The use of masks in the work relate to cultural traditions and explore the imposter syndrome I feel when I look to connect with these cultures. Animations of culturally significant patterns are introduced through augmented reality audience engagement, disclosing that the knowledge I gather about my cultural heritage is conveyed to me completely through the internet, deepening this sense of isolation and disconnect.

Title: Gooday Sunshine
Medium: Photograph
School: Unity College

Artist Statement:
Gooday Sunshine circles around the beauty of doing. The beauty making a meal to your liking in the morning for breakfast, or the beauty of sunshine beaming on you from morning to night. These sequences of photos are to emphasise the priceless gift of daily life. Everyone’s day can look like something different, but the purpose of this piece is to show viewers that there is charm in everything, even in the things we don’t always enjoy. Ralph Steadman and David McKean, both inspired me to go out of my comfort zone and create something completely unique, and nothing is more unique than your very own day. The stillness of each photograph represents pausing in time, giving a chance to stop and take in your surroundings.

Title: Jukebox
Medium: Sculpture
School: Matthew Flinders Anglican College

Artist Statement:
A love for and reliance on music, inspired investigations into the healing property of sound frequencies. I am interested in our connection to music, sound and colour, and its impact on mental health. Jukebox is a sculpture derived from personal data around music genres, expressed through translucent 3 dimensional cubes, light and space. The scale of each cube correlates to the amount of rap, pop and hip hop music I listen to. The cube is a symbol of stability and permanence, of geometric perfection, while the neon colours offer a glow along the cut edges, refracting playful coloured patterns and lines onto surrounding surfaces. The patterns are derived through an interpretation of music genres as geometric shapes, formed into radial rhythms. Through light, pattern and colour I hope to excite and evoke joy in audiences, the same emotions I experience from these layered frequencies.

Title: Bio-emergence
Medium: Film/electronic imaging
School: Pacific Lutheran College

Artist Statement:
Relationships are all around us; the connection between humans and nature has, throughout most of history, been a symbiotic one. In the modern world, this relationship has been exploited through laboratory manipulation of cellular structures. Bio-emergence prompts us to confront the immediate implications of humans controlling their relationship with nature. Bio-emergence serves as a visual representation of the evolving relationship between humans and nature, emphasising the delicate balance that has been disrupted through the modification of plants, animals and microbial cells. This prompts the question: How far can humans intervene before the natural becomes man-made?

Title: Naids of Dionysus
Medium: Painting
School: Mountain Creek State High School

Artist Statement:
The painting captures the freedom and ethereal nature of naiads who follow the god of wine and fertility. The fruits seen in the foreground connote themes of festivity and pleasure, combined with the shining chalice hidden in the grass. The striking white fabric expresses purity and connection to water. This contemporary representation imagines the naiad as followers of Dionysus in a Sunshine Coast hinterland setting, reminding us of the value of connection to nature as an escape from the chaos of the present world in which we exist.

Title: Natalia
Medium: Drawing
School: Nambour State College

Artist Statement:
This artwork expresses the personal focus of masculinity as a female conveyed through a self-portrait. Being masculine as a female has always created a sense of being out of place. Often times being too masculine to females and too feminine to men, so the feeling of sticking out is always present which these artworks invite the viewer to understand this perspective. The audience may be confused at first or not understand the perspective, but with the meaning behind the artworks, viewers hopefully grasp the viewpoint. This self-portrait depicts me in a suit which represents authority, power and superiority, but utilising the colour pink in the tie to apply an element of femininity as well as adding a pearl necklace as that also displays femininity as well as adding a personal touch into the work as it is a staple piece that has sentimental significance.

Title: Untitled
Medium: Painting
School: Unity College

Artist Statement:
This triptych of oil paintings is an intimate exploration of inner female hysteria. Each panel captures a different facet of the complex emotional landscape that arises from the intersection of personal turmoil and societal pressures. The first panel encapsulates a moment of raw vulnerability, where the flow of water symbolises the torrent of emotions that can overwhelm us. The second panel, shows the back of my bra, put on askew and digging painfully into my skin, causing it to bleed. In the final panel I am grabbing my torso, accentuating the folds and contours of my body. This image confronts societal standards of beauty and the intense scrutiny that women often face.

Title: Final Show
Medium: Collage and costume
School: St John’s College

Artist Statement:
Final Show is a representation of the goddess 'Diana' exploring the belittlement and exploitation of femininity, presenting the idea that life is a constant performance of ever-changing masks. Under the overarching theme of the journey of human existence, this narrative follows Diana’s rebirth after tearing out her heart. To survive in a man’s world, she removes her emotions to be regarded as equal. Hence, she becomes a shell of her previous self. The collage poster and costume tell a story of sacrifice, rebirth and façade commenting on how throughout history the existence of women is so often, a tragic performance, hiding behind a myriad of masks to protect oneself. Like a clown’s painted face or a dressed-up doll, it is impossible not to become entrapped in the circus of life.

Title: Arachne
Medium: Installation
School: Sunshine Coast Grammar School

Artist Statement:
The art and histories of textiles is why we are clothed, why we have computers and how women were able to have agency and document their lives and histories in a world that previously didn’t allow them to. Arachne is a piece detailing experiences women have with societies’ expectations, and how these expectations, every day, have the potential to change; to create new ones, to disappear; to reinvent themselves completely. Yet, it is also a piece on how everyone subconsciously enforces and adheres to societies’ expectations in every miniscule action we take. The red strings of what society wants has become an entrapping web of red bleeding threads. One that we fight while bleeding, dying and drowning to break free from; one that we also tenderly repair. Fixing every little rip, tear and crack, because societies’ expectations are an easy and comfortable representation to replicate.

Title: Travels of a Heart: The Anatomy of a Hug
Medium: Painting
School: St Mary’s College

Artist Statement:
The profoundness of artistic creation forms the potential for a deeper understanding of intangible experiences. Introspection is a concept revolving around delving into a person's own conscience and internal existence. With the combination of techniques and ideologies, art allows for this intangibility to be adapted visually for interpretation. When we hug, the environment around you is seemingly the way that someone else surrounds and encapsulates you into a moment. Through the personification of skeletal figures, this emotive perception can manifest a much more inspiring telling.

Title: Intersecting Memories
Medium: Installation
School: James Nash State High School

Artist Statement:
Intersecting Memories explores the idea of extending sentimentality with the use of strong motifs and adapting and combining the use of sculpture and digital art. Imagery is related to a jewellery box, signifying how family heirlooms are passed down. Focus of this art making is to investigate how personal, cultural, and contemporary contexts connect to sentimental value, with inspiration from Piet Mondrian, Daisy Boman and Susan Weil. Layering of framework including monochrome colours blue and white adds to an intertwining level of memories, creating a sense of connection to European culture, relating to the history and special occasions of family gatherings, and valuable personal belongings. Intersecting Memories allows the viewer to feel a sense of connection to home, and their own family.

Title: Blood, sweat, and teas
Medium: Sculpture
School: Mountain Creek State High School

Artist Statement:
Blood, sweat, and tears represents the vulnerability of sharing difficult parts of oneself. This artwork expresses my anxiety and inability to open up to others. The cake acts as a deceptive exterior of perfection, while layers of turmoil lie beneath. A cheerful pink contrasts the hyperrealism of blood and spilling organs; a powerful juxtaposition emphasising the yearn to hide insecurities or past trauma. The blood seeping from the cut represents my growing ability to open up, even when it’s not pretty, the cake giving way to the explosion of feelings once bottled up inside.

Title: Polluted Petals
Medium: Installation
School: Riverside Christian College

Artist Statement:
Polluted Petals explores the effects of air pollution on flora in a contemporary alternative way. The artist Maggie Ramirez said 'Materials like paper have transformative powers' which has inspired the piece through the realisation that it’s not just paper it’s something easily different, it is a tool that helps form, shape and represent flora. The mediums used help portray how the effects of air pollution damage the environment around us. The use of black ink is used to represent the black smog that is produced in a highly air polluted area. Various types of paper and card are used to create contrast and represent the different textures of the original native flora has. Nine dishes of ink form an installation of the life to death process that air pollution has on the native flora around Bangladesh.