IB VISUAL ARTS 2025

DORA

Curatorial Rationale

My exhibition revolves around the experience of growing up and shifting perspectives that come with the passage of time. Childhood is a universal yet deeply individual experience, marked by innocence, change, and memory, while adolescence introduces complexity and responsibility. In essence, our childhood shapes who we are at our very core. In my exhibition, I explore the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of growing up, reflecting on my own journey from childhood to present self, whilst prompting viewers to reflect on their own experiences of growing up.

My initial inspiration came from finding a small group of photographs from when I was 5-7 years old, prompting me to reflect on how I remember these times and how it is an intrinsically unique yet universal experience. I questioned how perspectives shift as we mature and how moments of innocence from our upbringing shapes the person we later become. From these inquiries, my exhibition developed into a visual dialogue between past and present selves. I was also inspired by examining children depicted in artworks, particularly the paintings of child acrobats by Picasso and portraits by Naomi White.

The artworks I have created for this exhibition explore various ideas about childhood, however, are linked through symbols and concepts. In the centre of the exhibition is a large pastel drawing of my younger self and directly in front sits a ceramic bust representing my current self. By positioning these two works in dialogue, I create very literal confrontation between past and present, offering viewers a raw representation of growth. The drawing conveys the delicacy of memory and the awkwardness of childhood, whereas the bust, whilst rigid in its medium, was once malleable echoing the experience of childhood. Together these artworks establish the framework of my exhibition: exploring childhood, change and memories.

From this central pairing, the surrounding works expand to present different explorations about growing up. I have chosen to present the artworks in a loosely linear arrangement, so that viewers may observe the exhibition as a journey through time. Viewers first encounter ‘Patchwork memories’, a quilt of layered textiles and lino prints. The artwork utilises the fabric itself as a metaphor, reflecting the memory of childhood as something pieced together, yet comforting in nature.

‘Mirror, Mirror’, depicts the paradox of wanting to grow up whilst simultaneously longing for the blissful simplicity of childhood. Additionally, the mirror serves as both a literal object but also a metaphor for reflection, connecting the viewer to their own memories. Similarly, this duality is furthered through the oil paintings ‘Then’ and ‘Now’, which showcase how change is represented in everyday life. In ‘Then’, the chaos of vibrant coloured pencils and scattered toys reflect innocence and creativity, with the overhead perspective distancing the viewer, suggesting how childhood is recalled from afar. In ‘Now’, responsibility replaces imagination, boxing away childhood objects to make way for expectation, in a sentimental, nostalgic manner. The use of raw wood is suggestive of the natural and organic growth that occurs during this time. Together, they embody the quiet accumulation of changes that mark growing up, rather than a single moment of transformation.