THE CENTENARIAN PORTRAIT BY TEENAGERS

As part of the Kew Community Festival, Bird's Gallery in High Street Kew, in association with Millenium Aged Care, hosted an art exhibition profiling Kew's oldest residents through portraits. Portraits were painted by three VCE students from Kew High School - Giorgia Benini, Sophia Cleaver, and Ashlee Gowans as well as other teenage artists from local schools.

The Kew High students who participated have very proudly represented the school and have shown outstanding artistic abilities. Below, Sophia Cleaver reflected on her experience.

When I was told about Margaret Henderson, the centenarian whose portrait I was to paint, I was very excited and glad to meet her. I was informed of her life of achievement in medicine, and how as a woman, she’s broken barriers to get there.

Over the few times I got to meet Margaret, we got to know each other through conversation. I couldn’t ask as much as I would have liked, but even so I thoroughly enjoyed talking to her. I’ve never met a centenarian before; both of our age groups are highly separate, and unlikely to mingle. But really, it doesn’t have to be that way. I got along with Margaret, enjoyed talking to her, and was impressed with her wit.

As an artist, this piece has been great for me. It put me outside my comfort zone, in the sense of trying to paint a portrait that retains both characteristics of the muse, and the artist. It’s not something I would have done otherwise and it was a great opportunity to have my work exhibited in a gallery.

Sophia Cleaver

Year 11