There exists the idea in our world that artists are people who drift about, waiting to act on rare moments of divine inspiration. This is a great misconception to which our DP Visual Arts students can testify. 

Creativity and technical mastery are skills that require active exercise in the same way an athlete or a musician practices in order to become 'better'. This year there were 16 student Visual Arts exhibitions on display in the Diploma Study Centre and each of these exhibitions contained objects with significant technical mastery and conceptual inquiry. They represent achievement that is unique within the broader Diploma Programme, for which each student deserves the great praise and acknowledgement that they received from our community during their Vernissage.

However, as impressive as these exhibitions and objects are individually and collectively, there is immense unseen learning that reflects the true value of creativity. For every good idea that exists and resulted in an artwork, there may be a myriad of unseen experiments, dead-ends and failures. Our students have not drifted about waiting for inspiration, contrary to romantic perceptions of artists. To arrive at a point to begin a final artwork for exhibition is in itself a great achievement. This commitment to the artistic process is where the work of art takes place.

Students have scrutinised the complex relations between their own intentions, artistic methods and the experience of the audience, which required intense research, technical exercise and critical analysis. Their success is a result of resilience. Our artists are risk-takers. They are disciplined and strive for improvement. The scale and depth of their work are great, not only represented by what can be seen hanging on the wall, but through the immensity of the unseen learning in the artistic process.