Hi there! The opportunity to challenge myself was what drew me to participate in the P6 Art Competition. I wanted to get a gauge of my standard in comparison to others, and use this experience to further hone my skills, ideas and artistic ability.

With the theme being 'Structure', I was mostly inspired by the shapes in every form, be it man-made or natural. With this in mind, I chose to focus on the structure of a honeycomb as I found the organic shapes very unique. Duality was heavily influenced by the forms of a honeycomb and the Duo tower in Singapore as they strongly resembled each other. Similarly, just as cells in the honeycomb are 'houses' for storage of honey and the eggs of bees, each window in the man-made Duo tower resembles a distinct space for housing or workplaces. In both structures, a space is produced with a specific function, which emphasises how despite their differences in shapes, their main purposes mirror one another.

Even today, Duality remains one of my favourite personal artworks. It was incredibly rewarding to finally finish my piece and see it displayed to the public in the SOTA gallery, and I remember the fulfilling feeling I had when attending the exhibition with my family.

I also really enjoyed participating in the Junior Academy! It was an opportunity to learn new techniques and try out different mediums through workshops which actually resemble our Visual Arts lessons. I even had the opportunity to work together with the other finalists in group activities. The programme helped me meet many like-minded people and make many new friends!

With both of my parents being in professions related to Visual Arts, I was exposed to different forms of art at a young age. Throughout primary school, I also took an interest in art as a subject and hence joined classes outside of school. During these lessons, I was further familiarised with the processes of making art, which broadened my fascination and willingness to continue to pursue Visual Arts in SOTA.

I really love the provocative nature of Visual Arts, be it of the audience or artist. I find it intriguing that everyone is able to interpret pieces differently, that there is no 'correct' way to regard an artwork. Art can also affect the viewers' feelings or perceptions, which I think adds to the appeal.

On the other hand, I enjoy the thought process before starting on the final piece the most - testing out different subject matters and choosing what techniques and mediums would look the best. This allows me to explore aspects of Visual Arts that I may not have worked with before, and helps me to express myself through my works.

Visual Arts lessons are very collaborative. We are encouraged to consult our teachers on our work, and they often share alternative approaches and suggestions to help us improve. I often also brainstorm ideas with my peers and classmates, where we bounce ideas back and forth to help each other broaden our perspectives. Through these discussions, I am able to go more in-depth with my learning and strengthen my creative potential!

One particular aspect of Visual Arts lessons that I appreciate is the keeping of a personal research journal. I find that compiling my ideas into this journal helps me better organise my thoughts and keep track of what I've worked on.