Fourteen local students were able to show off the results of their eight week art project this week despite Covid-19 restrictions not allowing them an exhibition.

The Art Smart students, from years 7 to 11, displayed painted chairs inspired by their favourite artists to a small group of family and friends on Monday evening (December 13) at the Central Art Space in Lake Hāwea.

Art tutor Jenny Sutherland said there were some surprising selections among the students’ choices of which artist inspired them: from French impressionist Claude Monet to the challenging 1990s artist Damien Hirst. 

The students researched their artists, completed a workbook on them, and painted a chair as an homage.

Winifred McAllister Brown (12) with her homage to Bridget Riley.

“They’ve done a big project, not just something that can be finished in a two hour class, but one they’ve had to come back to the next week and believe in themselves enough to keep building on,” Jenny said.

Ollie Baldwin (15) chose a mountainous landscape, and paid homage to artist Vincent van Gogh with a ‘Starry Starry Night’ scene on the back of the chair.

Ollie Baldwin (15) with his deep blue mountainscape.

“I wanted to do something a little bit different, and I just thought his art was really cool,” Ollie said.

JJ (11) was inspired by English artist Damien Hirst, famous for a diamond encrusted skull and other installations, saying she really likes what he does with his art.

Jenny said it was the first time she had assigned an artist’s chair project, but she would love to do it again.

JJ (11) was inspired by Damien Hirst.

“I wanted chairs, but I wanted all the chairs to be the same - which was going to be hard,” she said. Eventually she found the chairs for sale from a Korean restaurant in Queenstown which was being refurbished.

The students worked on the chairs from “right from the start”, she said, preparing the surfaces, gessoing them, marking their images, and finally painting. 

The students, who attend art class on Monday afternoons, all want to do art or have a creative outlet, or are preparing to take art at a senior level at Mount Aspiring College, Jenny said.

PHOTOS: Wānaka App