DHARESHWAR SANCHITA ASHWIN | VISUAL ARTS, YEAR 5
For Sanchita Ashwin, Visual Arts represents a medium for personal expression. And at SOTA, she strives to push her creative boundaries by experimenting with various artmaking techniques. Sanchita’s artistic excellence and passion for creative exploration saw her awarded the David Marshall Scholarship. We recently caught up with the Year 5 Visual Arts student to learn about her experiences in SOTA so far. Read on to find out more!
“Hi Sanchita! How did you begin pursuing Visual Arts, and what do you love about the artform?”
It all started when I was really young and used to cover the walls of my house with crayon scribbles. My parents recognised my inclination towards Visual Arts and signed me up for lessons through which I built on this passion. I think of Visual Arts as this vast canvas for self-expression. I love that I’m able to experiment with different ways of materialising my ideas and explore different mediums and artmaking techniques.
Learning at SOTA is often self-directed, wherein the fundamental skills are taught and we are able to expand on our own ideas and hone our expertise. This has allowed me to expand my artistic skills beyond traditional artmaking forms and learn techniques like linocut, digital imaging, and animation. I’ve even had the opportunity to work with code, a unique medium that, up until then, I had never associated with Visual Arts. Without any prior experience in coding, the project encountered many errors and took a while to complete. But with the help and guidance of my teachers, I was able to create a piece of work that I’m extremely proud of! Such learning experiences motivate me to move out of my comfort zone and try my hand at less traditional mediums.
Sanchita’s interactive coding project. You can check it out here
“You’ve taken up leadership roles and participated in several service learning projects. Could you share with us some of your experiences?”
Many service learning opportunities in SOTA capitalise on our artistic interests while giving back to the community. I’m currently leading the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) project “Project Bhai”, which aims to dissolve the rising stigma surrounding migrant workers in Singapore, especially following the outbreak of COVID-19 cases in dormitories back in 2020. We created a series of comics to educate primary school students about the lives of migrant workers and how they are not so different from us. As the team members specialised in different artforms, I assigned roles according to our own individual strengths. I’m very grateful to my peers for their support and effort in completing this meaningful project. It was a truly memorable experience!
Moving forward, I hope to continue engaging in such projects and further develop my leadership skills, giving back to the community in the process.
“As a scholar, you’ve also participated in several unique events and workshops. What was your experience like?”
In Year 5, I attended an interview skills workshop that teaches articulating yourself in a way that demonstrates your values, passions, goals, and strengths. I actually learnt a lot about myself through the introspective reflection sessions. I also attended the “Mastering Your Personal Statement” workshop in Year 6, where we learnt more about personal branding. Such skills would be useful even beyond SOTA, so I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to learn them now.
“How was your experience participating in the Refreshing Traditions programme?”
| Refreshing Traditions is an arts programme providing students with enriching experiences in local, traditional and Asian arts. Through masterclasses, workshops and ensemble training, students are nurtured to understand and appreciate cultural heritage, and create ways of revitalising these traditions. |
We were encouraged to think about how technology can enhance Batik, and vice versa. I created an interactive sculpture that enables the user to make the Batik cloth move in a “flowing” manner by operating a joystick, marrying traditional art and automation technology to capture the fluidity of Batik. I found this programme extremely meaningful – not only did I learn technical skills on operating the Arduino kit, but it also deepened my appreciation for the nuances of Batik painting and its cultural heritage.
“Thanks for chatting with us Sanchita! Is there anything you’d like to say to our donors/partners?”
Thank you for supporting the development of aspiring artists and helping us to become the best artists we can be. As SOTA students, not only are we able to gain valuable experiences and hone our craft, but we are also encouraged to use our artistic capabilities to give back to the community. Thank you for unlocking these doors and providing us these opportunities!
* The David Marshall Scholarship is presented to selected students who demonstrate artistics talents and excellent academic standing. The scholarship is brought to you by the David Marshall Endowment supported by Temasek Foundation. See here for more information.
* Arduino is an electronics platform allowing users to design, program, and create interactive electronic objects using open-source hardware and software.