The concerns and fears of young Australians today are summarised in the ARTEXPRESS 2018 exhibition opening at the Hazelhurst Regional Gallery and Arts Centre on February 17.
Unfair wages, body image, animal welfare, the state of the environment, consumerism and and anxiety are some of the themes examined.
The selection of 44 outstanding student artworks submitted for the HSC examination in Visual Arts uses a variety of forms including ceramics, drawing, graphic design, painting, photomedia, printmaking, sculpture and textiles.
Hazelhurst is joining with other venues across Sydney in hosting the popular ARTEXPRESS exhibition which is seen by thousands of people each year.
Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce said each year ARTEXPRESS examines issues that young people feel are extremely important to them and the modern world.
“The environment is again one of the major themes in this year’s exhibition and it just goes to show how passionate our young people are about our planet,” he said.
The exhibition includes a work about the Great Barrier Reef and the destruction of the coral through bleaching.
Chevelle Donoso from Picnic Point High School in her work “Humanity – What can’t be seen is coloured’ Chevelle Donoso from Picnic Point High School in her work “Humanity – What can’t be seen is coloured’
It is a work which explores how human ego and consumerism are overpowering the beauty of our natural world.
The work uses plastic bags and soy sauce sushi bottles to comment on the environmental impact humans are having on our oceans.
Angeline Khoury from Santa Sabina looks at society’s obsession with self-image, specifically
the preoccupation with social media and the tools used to mask one’s identity in her work “Hairy Antoinette.”
And Burwood Girls High student Lola Mae Nesbitt has been influenced by the work of Bill Henson, looking at the transition from childhood to womanhood in her work On the Cusp.
Hazelhurst Regional Gallery director Belinda Hanrahan said the exhibition has been carefully curated by the gallery’s Kate Milner and Ingrid Dernee and this year it is as strong in ideas as ever and reveals extraordinary technical skills by young artists throughout NSW.
Artexpress 2018 is presented by Hazelhurst in partnership with the NSW Department of Education and NSW Education Standards Authority.
Details: ARTEXPRESS is showing from February 17 to April 15 at the Hazelhurst Arts Centre, 782 Kingsway, Gymea. Open daily 10am to 5pm.