TGS and Indus team up for a student art exhibition

As our term and time in India draw to a close, it is important to stop for a moment, take stock of our situation, and share all of the beautiful things that we have created during the past three and a half months. On the afternoon of November 26th we did just that by joining with our host school, Indus, for a collaborative art exhibition showcasing the recent work of students from both schools.

The walls (and doors) of an open space were filled with drawings, paintings, photographs, video projections, and sculptures of a high standard. Our honored guest was the owner and curator of Hyderabad’s Icon Art gallery, Avani Rao Gandhara, who commented on how pleasantly surprised she was by the conceptual and visual maturity of the work displayed, as well as its quality. As an art teacher, it is always a joy to see students’ reactions to their work on display, and their realization that they made this beautiful thing; but by far and away my favorite part of an art show is observing my students talk about their artwork with their peers and others.

“It was really nice seeing my pieces up. I got a lot of unexpected compliments, and I also had the chance to look and comment on the pieces of others as well.” -Paul (TGS)

“There were many great works done by TGS and Indus. For me, it was a very memorable exhibition, and I want it to see again…” -Song Jun Ho aka John (Indus)

“I came fully expecting to see a level of technical excellence. What surprised me, though, was the variety of media and the amount of thought and imagination which must have gone into the work on display.” -Mr. Jenkinson (TGS)

“Standing in a pseudo-underground art exhibition at school today made me value the influence that images hold over the viewer. Seeing the expressions on people’s faces as they looked closely at our work awoke an aspect of art that I believe is essential: communication.” -Alejandro (TGS)

“The art exhibition held at our school was a new experience for me, especially since a few of my artworks were featured. Although I did not have to talk about my work much, I learned about how different individuals connected with art in dissimilar ways. I witnessed a lot of dynamic, creative art as I intermingled with the other presenters. I understood that through examining art, you understand the mind of the artist and the deeper you go, the more you understand that you yourself possess a perception that is unique yet somehow co-related on a whole new level.” -Prajim (Indus)

“It felt nice to have work that I was proud of up on the wall and to see it. I am not very confident about my work, and it boosted my confidence to see it up there. It was interesting to see everyone’s art work, especially the older kids because it showed me my potential as an artist.” -Kiana (TGS)

“It was awesome to see that every piece of artwork I submitted went up. It was also really interesting to see what the older kids are doing and what level we might end up in a couple years.” -Grant (TGS)

“I think it was pretty helpful to see the response from other people rather than my Art classmates, since they did not know the work behind it, and how I came to the conclusion of making the pieces. So it helps me realize if my message is being properly received or giving out a different idea. It also made me think about how I can display my work later on, and seeing work from different people inspired me to explore different mediums.” -Melissa (TGS)

“Presenting my work in the exhibition furthered my concepts on my own creations. Pieces that I felt iffy about at the beginning ended up being something that I was proud of. Talking about other works with the students and guests was also enjoyable. I wish that we could have had more integration time with the Indus students, so that we could appreciate and get inspired by each others work more often.” -Isaac (TGS)

Special mention goes to TGS Grade 11 student Hannah C., who won the “Our Girls, Our Pride” photography competition for her image capturing that theme. Hannah’s winning photograph shows a young Indian girl displaying her patriotism through face paint.

Art students from TGS and Indus should all be proud of the particularly lovely artwork they have recently created. I am grateful to my colleague at Indus, Ranjita Chakraborty, for her support and collaboration throughout the semester, and I look forward to sharing more amazing student artwork in the future.