In preparation for an exhibition at the UP Student Gallery, third-year art education students were expected to critically and creatively create a body of work in which they identified a challenge or issue dealt with in their daily lives.They had to choose their own year theme through introspective discovery of a topic with which they could identify within a contemporary, South African situation that had some impact on their lives.

They had to consider how, as art educators, they could visually present their views, feelings, thoughts and possible solutions, or create awareness of a specific situation. The exhibition addresses deeply emotional and even disturbing themes ranging from situations involving identity, i.e., their cultural understanding of themselves or their body image, eating disorders, shame or challenges related to mental health, such as anxiety, depression, living with ADHD, sexual violence in schools, bullying, death and loss of loved ones and other personal struggles. Nonetheless, each body of work conveys a message of encouragement and hope.

As suggested by the title of the exhibition, Power in Fragility, the works on display dealt with the human condition, things that expose us while also making us human, and are the result of a process that the students went through. During the past year they discovered their own strengths, weaknesses and identities, but they had, throughout their lives, face challenges that, in many cases, became more apparent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Dr Human, who developed this project, this year has not been easy, but each student whose work is on display can be proud. It is easy to see how, over the past year, they have evolved to become the artists and educators they are today.