Showcasing Our Creative Journeys With The IB Visual Arts Exhibition Persona

Showcasing Our Creative Journeys With The IB Visual Arts Exhibition “Persona”

By: Cherlyn Adriana Tan (12 St. Fidelis student)

The spectacle of meaning and emotions in our lives are conveyed by visual arts. Art reflects the human experience through many approaches, helping us shape our understanding of people, lives, cultures, and the world. From abstract paintings to 3D installations, the ways in which we can express our ideas through visual means are limitless. 

In Stella Maris Gading Serpong, the International Baccalaureate Visual Arts subject grants students the opportunity to harness their creativity, skill, and versatility in the arts. One significant component from this course is the Visual Arts Exhibition, which allows students to present a curated selection of their very own artworks. This was a truly exciting experience for me, especially as someone who enjoys visiting art galleries and museums. Our exhibition was held in the school’s Getsemani auditorium last February 26-27, 2025. Every year, IB Visual Art students collectively decide on an exclusive title and theme for their exhibition. Our batch decided to name this year’s exhibition “Persona”, to capture the essence of a diverse range of emotions and feelings found within our art pieces.  

One of the most unique aspects of my Visual Arts journey is the freedom given by our teacher, Mr Alimin. Unlike any other art classes I have been a part of, where guidelines must be followed in order to achieve proper techniques, our teacher takes on a more loose and open-ended approach of teaching. Because everyone communicates through art differently, Mr Alimin encourages me and my classmates to “go wild” or defy traditional art norms, and discover our personal styles, giving us occasional feedback when needed. This way, each student can independently find their own artistic voice. He often emphasizes that when you create art, you should be unafraid of mistakes; they aren’t supposed to hold you back, but reveal new pathways. 

During the start of my IB Visual Arts course, I remembered when I did not have a distinct art style. I felt stranded and lost. I had to rely on other artists’ techniques that seemed visually appealing to me. But this changed when I realized that my artistic techniques did not have to conform to conventional manners. I started doing my art more spontaneously, in a way I felt at ease whilst executing them in the classroom. Eventually I had found my own personal style and theme: naive, childlike art that emphasized vibrant colors and irregular-shaped creatures. Asides from my own creative journey, I have also witnessed my own classmates’ growth and development in their art. Our overall artistic approach became more resolute over time. 

I am immensely grateful for the Visual Arts exhibition, as two years of exploration, creativity, and hard work were poured into this special occasion. I think that the exhibition is an opportunity to not only display your own applied skills to the audience, but also our own creative thinking processes and evolution of artistic journey.