Title: Beauty
School: Bukit Merah Secondary School
Artist: Khoo Wan Qing
Age: 15
Year: 2021
Medium: Colour Pencil
Dimension: 210 x 297 mm
Artist Statement:
There are millions of girls who found imperfections on their faces and some find their appearances unsatisfactory therefore they choose to do plastic surgery. But the people in the past do not have the science and technology so they have to learn to accept their look.
A passionate student, Wan Qing enjoys creating art even outside of the classroom. In this work, Wan Qing makes a stand on current beauty standards and created a work that is of her personal taste. - Mdm Marina Bohari
💬 Let's Talk About Art
COMPARE & CONTRAST
Are there any similarities between these artworks? How are they similar?
Are there any differences between these artworks? How are they different?
Adapted from: Hamblen’s Art Criticism Questioning Strategy
💡 Artist Reference
Self Portrait, 1946
Georgette Chen (1906 - 1993)
Oil on Canvas
17.5 x 22.5 cm
Source: Google Arts and Culture
Suggestion: Compare this self-portrait by local artist Georgette Chen with Wan Qing's, Beauty, using the guiding questions COMPARE AND CONTRAST above.
You may use the facilitation worksheet on the right. (modify for own use)
🎨 Suggested Activity
"Painting the truth or changing reality?
An artist might choose to depict a person exactly as they are - flaws included, so that every wart, pimple or scar is clearly memorialized in paint for all to see. Artists may sometimes even exaggerate a person's characteristics, good or bad, to make a caricature of the person. Conversely, an artist might "kindly overlook" the person's flaws, correcting imperfections and presenting an idealized view of a person. It all depends on what the artist wants to achieve with the work, and also what they plan to do with it. For instance, a private collector who is commissioning a special portrait might prefer to have their flaws 'removed', rather than imprinted in pigment for posterity."
adapted from 'Art in Fun - Learn to Draw and Paint with Thaneeya'
A) Discuss how most girls (and also boys) like to filter their selfies to make themselves 'look better'. What role does social media play in the way we see and portray ourselves?
B) Using ideas from the discussion in A, create a 'less than perfect' self-portrait in any medium. Focus on expression and colours as opposed to achieving realism or beautification.
Visit Thaneeya's site to see her works and understand the different styles of self portrait from different periods.
Draw references to approach designing your own self-portrait.
