Art Success - UpstART 24
A select number of Hennessy students' artworks were entered into the Cowra Regional Art Gallery which showcases the artworks of regional students in years 9, 10, 11, and 12. School student works were gathered from Blayney High School, Boorowa Central School, Cowra High School, Hennessy Catholic College, Holman Place School Cowra, James Sheahan Catholic High School Orange, The Henry Lawson High School Grenfell and St Raphael’s Catholic School Cowra. A practicing artist judged the works and first place for Year 12 was Lily Basham, with a highly commended going to Mischa Boxsell. Lily Boda was placed first for the Painting award, April Dickinson first in mixed media, and Shatika Downey first in Ceramics. Works are on display at Cowra Regional Gallery till 8/12/2024.
“Just The Two of Us” encapsulates the loneliness of the human condition and the solace found within the small things in life.
Highly Commended in Year 12- Mischa Boxsel
Memories are the foundational elements that configure and shape our identities; however, it is a universal misconception that the ‘awe principle’-- the idea that only grand, unreachable moments are worthy of reverence and that only unorthodox moments are reserved for the extraordinary. In my work, I challenge this concept by turning our collective gaze inward, towards the intimate, transparent, and frequently overlooked moments that define who we are. I explore passages of my identity through the lens of my mundane life in rich, warm, and enticing palettes to exude the beauty in which the moment exudes, each acrylic painting standing as a testament to the realisation; that by appreciating the small, we come to understand the whole, and in embracing the ordinary, we discover the extraordinary in ourselves. My work serves as an imminent reminder that our true essence is formed in the quiet, constant rhythm of reality and challenges the notion that rare, monumental events don’t just forge our identities, but the cumulative weight of everyday actions, and interactions.
First place in Ceramics - Shatika Downey
“Acceptance”, through its postmodern appropriation of Goya’s Etchings, The Prado Collection develops a new story/meaning to the audience. This work demonstrates how humans can struggle to “find our people” and belonging, as societal expectations influence how we should portray ourselves.
The storyline encompasses a human trying to fit into a world of monsters where at first she is scared to show her true self due to the fear of rejection, though in the end, she finds real friends where she no longer needs to hide behind a mask, an unrealistic facade.
First Place in Painting - Lily Boda
Title: Why does it hurt? (oil on Canvas)
"My Body of Work" explores the intense emotions and confusion of growing up and my transition to adolescence and the pressures of a rapidly changing world, where a deep longing for childhood innocence permeates. Yet, despite being forced to grow up, I'll always be that child; where fleeting innocence collides with the uncertainties of self-discovery.
Dom Moran
Dominic Moran’s work was not only admired but several adults stopped, revisited, and admired the conceptual underpinnings within the work.