Rebekah Lee: ARTEXPRESS 2022

As we celebrate the results of a challenging, yet fantastic year for our 2021 HSC students, we are especially excited to congratulate Rebekah Lee on being the first Regents Park Christian School Visual Arts student to be selected for ARTEXPRESS.

ARTEXPRESS is a showcase of outstanding student artworks developed for Visual Arts in the HSC. Read Rebekah’s artistic journey below.

“Surprisingly, Visual Arts was one of my best and most enjoyable subjects amongst the intuitive and logical subjects I took; Extension 2 Maths and Physics. Although being recognised as a mathematical and cognitively driven student, I decided to choose Visual Arts to explore a variety of different subjects. As the terms progressed and as I experimented with watercolour and drawing, whilst building on my conceptual and historical understanding of art, I began to enjoy the subject more than any other. It was extremely helpful that I had Ms Odonga as my teacher, bestowing upon me her many years of experience and wisdom. Through her, I was able to pick up art quickly, and realised the outstanding potential which I could achieve in Year 12.”

“Thinking of ideas for a Body Of Work was difficult for me, as my brain would never stop running out of ideas. However, I knew that whatever I chose to explore in my BOW would need to be something that I highly resonated with, so that I am able to engrave it with my personal experiences, struggles, and use it as an outlet to further understand myself,” she said. “I enjoyed the subtleties and secrets within personal works and exploring oneself with the mirror of art.”

“I decided to explore the idea of skin as the external landscape of the body. As someone who has struggled with eczema, I was able to photograph my skin using a microscopic camera as it flared up or began to bleed. These photographs revealed an abstract and vibrant landscape. My research also looked at images of skin cells under a microscope and they further informed my prints. Never having done printmaking before, the learning experience was one that I expressively enjoyed, from making the plates to inking them, and seeing them transferred onto paper. Although it was a laborious process, the final results were satisfying.”

Artist Statement:

‘The Claustrophobia of Dermatitis (Seasonal Desert)’.

Expressive form: Printmaking – Dry point etching, Mono printing, embossing and hand coloured collagraphs

My body of work explores the surface of the skin as a flawed outline for the deeper landscape of our bodies. Through the contrast of macro and micro scales, this fragile duality reflects our interaction with internal and external landscapes, questioning elements of reality under our tainted perception. These ideas are further mirrored by my personal experiences with dermatitis, and how, like a changing landscape in times of drought and fertility, my skin continuously changes over time.

“I am extremely proud of my work being able to be displayed at ARTEXPRESS 2022 to represent our school, and so grateful for the infinite support Ms Odonga provided our class. For anyone considering doing Visual Arts, I would highly recommend it if you enjoy exploring a variety of ideas and perspectives, if you are dedicated and you are keen to learn.”

Congratulations Rebekah and all our 2021 Year 12 Class who achieved outstanding HSC results. We are so proud of you and our staff team for their support, guidance, and leadership.

Here are a few pieces from Rebekah’s artwork: