University of Pretoria (UP) third-year visual art education students impressed audiences at the annual Art Education Exam Exhibition, where they showcased their growth and development in skills at the UP Student Gallery.

The students, who are training as future art educators, were praised by faculty deans, department heads, friends and family for their bodies of work that comprised both 2D and 3D elements created from traditional and alternative art materials.

The exhibition, titled Human Nature, featured themes that were developed by the students and had to be something they could identify with; they also addressed recent events, particularly in a South African context, that had an impact on their lives. The aim was for the students to develop their own artistic voices. As art educators, they had to consider how to visually present their views, feelings, thoughts, possible solutions or awareness-creation of a specific situation to the public, thereby becoming activists and standing up for what they believe in.

Artwork by student Lynique Krüger

“Like the title Human Nature, the exhibition comprises themes about the human condition; that which makes us vulnerable, while also making us human,” said Dr Deléne Human, senior lecturer in visual art education and the coordinator of this project. “The works exhibited are a result of a process that the students have undergone, not only this past year, in discovering their own strengths, weaknesses and identities as artists and educators, but challenges that they have faced throughout their lives.” 

The themes depicted ranged from situations surrounding identity; cultural understandings of themselves as humans or their body image; mental health-related challenges such as anxiety or depression and living with borderline personality disorder or migraines; religion, politics, gender-based violence and narcissism; as well as animal cruelty and death, and the loss of loved ones or other personal struggles. However, each body of work also evoked messages of hope and encouragement.

“As future art educators, this is important because they do not know where they will be teaching and what the circumstances at the schools may be,” Professor Chika Sehoole, Dean of the Faculty of Education, said. “The project therefore encouraged critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills. Students had to develop their ideas in a workbook, which documents the process, and compile a website, which can be used after their studies. They also created business cards and a short production video.”

Artwork by student Paula Rynard

Prof Sehoole said it was important to remember that as art education students, they offer something that goes beyond merely depicting aesthetically pleasing visuals. Their work engages the viewer and prompts questions that aim to educate the public and effect change in society. Their work, he said, speaks of everyday issues and conscientises society about things that are usually hidden away or rarely spoken about. The students also planned and executed the entire exhibition, from setting up their own works to sourcing funding for the catering and organising the opening event.

One of student artist Marli Jansen’s art pieces, You Can See Me, Right?, consists of eyeballs made of air dry clay, polymer clay and resin placed inside a Perspex box. These represent the sight aspect of experiencing migraines. All the eyes are looking in different directions, while one appears to be breaking out of the constraints of the box. The artwork is part of her collection, Losing Touch with Reality, for the exhibition

“Sometimes reality can shatter, and feeling out of touch and losing control of it can be terrifying,” Jansen said. “My title is Losing Touch with Reality, and it revolves around migraines and the effect they have on people physically and psychologically. I chose this theme to raise awareness, as people often refer to migraines as ‘just a headache’, which is far from the truth because it causes a lot of pain and stress.”

Student Marli Jansen’s artwork ‘You Can See Me, Right?’

The students also displayed their drawings of UP alumni, and of film and theatre actress Matete Phala, who said the students reminded her that as a performer, she is both object and subject and at any given time; she chooses which one she is as she manoeuvres between the two.

“That is the perspective from which I came into this project,” Phala said. “I was clear that I was coming in as a muse, a subject of their interpretation. Whatever object they produced was their interpretation, and it did not need to be an accurate depiction of me as a subject.”

“The students have worked very hard to prepare this exhibition,” Dr Human said. “With only some guidance, they were responsible for the entire exhibition, from its inception to the setting up and taking down afterwards. I am very proud of each and every student whose work was exhibited. I can clearly see how each of them has progressed and developed over the past year into the artists and educators they are today.”