The time of the year has come again, the annual IASAS Art Cultural Convention – read this article about what goes on behind these skills displayed on canvases, what really happens behind the scenes?
Out of the IASAS teams at ISB, the IASAS arts team have submitted their artworks of various mediums and have just returned from the IASAS Cultural Convention. Every year, a group of student artists are selected to showcase their artwork at the annual IASAS Cultural Convention – where schools across Southeast Asia come together to celebrate art, creativity, and expression, and gives a chance for students to get the experience of collaboration and further exploration of art. There have been a total of 25 artworks chosen to be shown at the convention, ones of all types of mediums ranging from paintings, digital works, photography, to mixed media – every single artwork is rooted from different stories and has its own conceptual backgrounds that the artist intends to express.
“Every year there’s such amazing growth, not just as artists, but as people.”
Mr. Tahan is one of the art teachers at ISB, and is also one of the teachers who are part of leading the IASAS arts team. While the arts team is not a competitive varsity sports team, the teachers are still called the “coaches” – who are in charge of organizing the traveling delegates of the team out of the artists who were a part of the 25 submitted artworks, to have the opportunity to work with different artists from the other IASAS schools. During the IASAS Cultural Convention, the students are given the chance to collaborate with other art students at a higher level than they would in a normal art class at school. Mr Tahan says, “We can work at a much higher level in terms of what we’re talking about conceptually.” This also helps to build a strong sense of community among the student artists.
Mr. Tahan further elaborated on his explanation that when the artists have the opportunity to work with other people who are also interested in art, or might even have a different idea of what art is – it allows them to “get out of their comfort zone”. This event of collaboration and connection benefits the artists in many ways – such as benefiting their art portfolio, as well as letting them get a clearer view of what other students are planning to do with their artworks in the future.
Wii is a student artist who is one of the IASAS arts delegates, and has been part of the team since her freshman year. From Wii’s experience, the artist community at ISB has helped her creativity truly thrive through the amount of inspiration she is able to gain. “With so many passionate artists here in ISB, it’s really inspiring to be surrounded by that kind of creativity.”
Wii’s art piece for IASAS this year reflects onto her personal childhood experiences. “When Sleep Pretends” is an acrylic painting on canvas, a piece that is intended to capture personal childhood experiences of her own. When asked for her advice for those who want to try out for IASAS art, Wii emphasized on the significance of delivering a specific message through the art piece you create. “As much as technical skill may matter in the decision-making process, the message you want to convey through the piece plays a significantly more important role. If your piece expresses something genuine and personal, that will always stand out”, she says.
With ISB providing recognition to the artists of the community by providing an arts team to represent the school, Wii says “I think it’s amazing that ISB provides an opportunity for artists to represent the school in the same way athletes and performers do. It gives recognition to the creativity and hard work that often happens quietly behind the scenes. Having an arts team also helps build a sense of community among student artists who share the same passion.”
As a team representing the creativity that thrives within the ISB community, the IASAS arts team continues to travel with their blooming artistry – as their upcoming artist showcase will display the team’s unique and eccentric pieces. Each tells the story of the one who utilized their skills to create visuals that speak to the eye – as it will be displayed which can serve as pieces of inspiration for other individuals aspiring to reach a higher level of visual arts.
Being part of the IASAS arts team is not just about creating art; it’s about building confidence, learning to communicate through visual language, and connecting with other inspiring artists. We’ve heard from both the coach of the IASAS arts team as well one of the team delegates herself, about the importance of an art piece rooting from the soul – from something genuine. The team plays an important part in the ISB community and their work inspires others, showcasing how art can go beyond the classroom to make meaningful statements about one’s identity, culture, and the world around us.
