Marist College Eastwood finished the last term on a high with senior student Zach H being awarded the People’s Choice Senior Winner in the Staedtler Secondary Schools Artists Competition for 2024.
Zach, who is currently completing his final year at the College, submitted only one of seven of his seven drawings for his Visual Arts HSC Body of Work. The piece entitled “Holding Time” depicts the hands of his grandmother holding a timepiece that captures the challenges and hardships of migration. The watch highlights the time spent away from home, the struggle to adapt, and the anticipation of a better future. The depiction of his grandmother’s hands, emphasises his personal connection and the generational impact of migration. This piece captures the emotional journey, symbolising progress, adaptation and hope for new opportunities.
Zach is an Australian-born Chinese, raised in Fiji and moved to Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue his high school education. Zach says “Moving to Australia during such a challenging time presented its own set of hurdles, but it also opened up new opportunities for growth and learning in a different environment. At Marist College Eastwood, I have been able to further explore and develop my artistic skills and passion for art.”
Drawing was simply fun for a young Zach, however during his time at the College he developed his skills and deepened his love for art, transforming it from a hobby into a vital part of his identity.
Zach’s HSC body of work comprises a collection of seven drawings. He says “the inspiration behind the collection was the exploration of capturing the personal narrative of migration with my journey from Fiji to Australia. Through plain black and white drawings using graphite pencils, I explore the emotional approach of this journey. Focusing on portraying different hands of my family in diverse positions, reflecting a spectrum of experiences during various encounters. These hands hold symbolic objects, representing the migration process. The starkness of black and white evokes contrasts and duality, intensifying the visual impact of symbolic elements. My artworks aim to encapsulate the complex emotions and connections tied to migration, offering a visual journey through the power of monochromatic simplicity.”
As far as the future is concerned, Zach plans to pursue architecture at University and expand his graphite drawing to include artistic expressions and explore painting and charcoal drawing.
The College currently has 14 students completing their HSC in Visual Arts with works including drawing, sculpture, textiles and fibre, photography, film and printmaking. This number is set to expand with two current Year 11 Visual Arts classes.
Ms Dani Spurr, Visual Arts Teacher says “our College is no stranger to awards with one of our Year 10 students winning a major prize in the Clancy Religious Art Competition last year. Also, some of our past students have gone on to have amazing careers in Art including Paul Newton, Artist and Archibald Prize People’s Choice Winner and current portrait artist for Parliament House Canberra and prominent contemporary artist, Nick Fintan.”