The ISL Qatar community came together recently to celebrate and view the artwork of the Grade 12 Visual Arts Diploma students.
The Display Conference Room was transformed into a professional gallery worthy of the work it was showcasing. An exciting array of colours, textures and techniques adorned the walls and plinths of the room, with each student choosing eight of their most successful pieces to describe their personal themes. Techniques on show ranged from traditional oil painting, ceramic and glass, as well as textiles and wire work. The students were on hand to give personal accounts and explanations of their work and spoke eloquently and with confidence. 
“Once again we were stunned not only by the quality of the art work but by the creative ideas, insights and eloquence of our budding artists,” said Chris Charleson, Head of School. 
The IB Diploma Programme Visual Arts course encourages students to challenge their own creative and cultural expectations and boundaries. It is a thought-provoking course in which students develop analytical skills in problem-solving and divergent thinking, while working towards technical proficiency and confidence as art-makers. In addition to exploring and comparing visual arts from different perspectives and in different contexts, students are expected to engage in, experiment with and critically reflect upon a wide range of contemporary practices and media. The course is designed for students who want to go on to study visual arts in higher education as well as for those who are seeking lifelong enrichment through visual arts. 
The exhibition theme ‘Uncommon Thread’ was chosen by the students to highlight the differences in their work but to also acknowledge that they are all still linked together by their time spent together and the techniques they have acquired through collaboration and workshops. 
Robyn O’Neill, DP Visual Art Teacher at ISL Qatar, said: “The quality of work produced by our students at the end of the two year diploma course always astounds me, as does their progression in skill and understanding of the subject. The IB Visual Arts Diploma allows for students to follow their own path and work within themes that are personal to them. This results in bodies of work being produced that are thought-provoking and close to the student’s hearts. Their choice of media also reflects their diverse range of skills and the fact they can successfully interpret their ideas into varied forms and techniques. In total, our nine students showcased 65 pieces of work. This made for a visually exciting exhibition, of which we as a school are very proud to showcase.”
Ahmed Hassan, one of the students whose work was on display, explained the theme behind his work: “Art is the expression of one’s desires, and my desire is to travel the world. Travel illuminates the feeling of discovery in my life and to explore different cultures of the world. As my theme was travel, I went on to develop it into a story of the past, present and future. Each piece symbolised a time in my life, and each piece was inspired by artists whose culture and selected media were different to mine. These artists were Emily Garfield, with her work with maps, Anthony Gormley with his work shaping metal into human forms and Falco One with cultural graffiti. The exhibition allowed me to present my pieces to the audience and the arrangement helped me to narrate my story.”