Bradford Grammar School is celebrating its ninth biennial public art exhibition at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, displaying artwork produced by pupils across the senior school.
The hall features a dedicated gallery about the life and work of Hockney, a former student at BGS. Twins Alaynah and Myrah Khan, age 16 from Shipley, are ecstatic about having their work displayed.
Alaynah said: “It feels rewarding having my hard work pay off and being recognized in such a beautiful art gallery. I also feel privileged to have my artwork displayed at one of David Hockney’s favorite art galleries surrounded by a variety of such beautiful artwork.
“The Spanish Street artist- artist Miguel Ángel Belinchó who is better known as Belin inspired me. I was fascinated by Belin’s hyper realistic portraits that tend to have a Cubist twist to them. I decided to use my own face and combine various intricate pieces of my artwork, ranging from coloured pencils to oil paint. It also includes Maori patterns which are rich in symbolism, ultimately allowing me to produce a piece of work that’s both experimental and expressive.”
Myrah agrees that art is fundamentally vital for creative learning: “I strongly agree that art is a way for individuals to express themselves and is surely all around us; in language and culture. More importantly, art is a subject which differentiates itself from the other subjects such as sciences, as it allows students to think more open-minded. We are given the opportunity to find out what we are best at, by exploring with a wide range of mediums, which Bradford Grammar School excels at.”
Head of Art at BGS, Josie Barraclough said: “We get a real sense of reward watching students grow over a period of time because you see how their art work progresses, how they participate and how they’ve improved. I think contributing to the arts as a young person is important. It aids in their personal development and wellbeing, because it gives them a chance to evaluate themselves, their work and to come out of their comfort zone.
“It also provides them with spontaneity, self-confidence and builds up their creative skill set that then carries through to other subjects and into adulthood. Arts subjects are under threat nationally but thankfully not at BGS.”
Sonja Kielty, Cartwright Hall Curator said: “It’s fabulous for Bradford Grammar School pupils to present their work in the place where David Hockney would often visit – the grand Edwardian art gallery across the road from his former school. It’s also a lovely opportunity for the school to support the arts locally and encourage more young people to get creative.”
The Bradford Grammar School ninth biennial art exhibition will run until January 6 next year. Admission is free.
“It’s fabulous for Bradford Grammar School pupils to present their work in the place where David Hockney would often visit – the grand Edwardian art gallery across the road from his former school.
It’s also a lovely opportunity for the school to support the arts locally and encourage more young people to get creative.”
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