Year 7 student Isabella Lu was selected as a finalist in this year’s Young Archie competition.
The Young Archie competition is an annual art competition held concurrently with the prestigious Archibald Prize. The competition invites budding artists between the ages of 5 and 18 to submit a portrait of a person special to them.
Encouraged by her uncle to enter the competition, Isabella painted her grandfather using acrylic paint on paper for her portrait, titled Light Switch.
“My uncle owns an art gallery and after seeing my paintings he suggested I enrol in the Young Archie competition,” Isabella said.
In her artwork label, Isabella describes her grandfather and the inspiration for her portrait: “Every time I see my grandpa, he makes me very happy. It’s like he turns on a light switch. He is usually a very serious person. Those who don’t know him well rarely ever see him smile. But every time I come to him, he greets me with a warm smile and a huge hug. This is why my artwork is called Light Switch.”
“In class, Ms Legge taught us about shadows, and we learned about lighting. I used some techniques I learned in class to emphasise the contrast between light and shadows in my portrait.”
Ms Gillian Legge is Meriden’s Head of Design and Creative Arts.
“Participating in this competition has been an incredible experience. It pushed me to refine my skills and explore my creativity.
“I was very happy to find out that I was one of the six finalists in the 9-12 years-old category. This is one of the biggest achievements in my life so far.”
Isabella’s painting and other Young Archie finalists are exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in a free display alongside the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes from 8 June to 8 September 2024.
