Visual Arts & Technologies
Head of Visual Arts - Michael Kapadia
Head of Technologies - Peter Steele
Year 10 Art – Exploring Mental Health Through Art
Article by Oksana Rubacha, Senior School Visual Arts
Year 10 Art students recently explored the theme “Mind Matters”, investigating how artists communicate ideas about mental health, wellbeing, struggle, and healing through visual language.
Students were challenged to create a resolved A3 artwork for Student Services, requiring them to carefully consider their audience and the impact their artwork may have within a wellbeing space. Throughout the project, students examined a range of artists who explored mental health in different ways. They studied artists such as Edvard Munch and Vincent van Gogh, analysing how personal experiences, emotions, and challenges influenced their artwork. Students also explored more uplifting and restorative artworks that used colour, symbolism, and subject matter to create feelings of calm, hope, and reflection.
Using this research as inspiration, students selected their own influential artist and investigated how visual language can be used to communicate meaning. They then completed a series of experiments to develop and refine their ideas before creating a final artwork that responded to the theme.
The finished artworks demonstrate thoughtful consideration of both artistic practice and audience, with students exploring a diverse range of perspectives on mental health and wellbeing. Members of the Student Services team will now select a number of artworks they feel are best suited to the environment for both staff and students to enjoy.
As Vincent van Gogh once said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Just as each artwork was developed through a series of small ideas, experiments, and refinements, the finished pieces have the potential to make a meaningful difference to those who view them. Whether inspiring hope, promoting calm, or simply helping someone feel understood, these artworks demonstrate the positive impact creativity can have on the wellbeing of others.
