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Current Student Artists 23-24
Ai Li
The Audience’s Lecturer
The first time I did sculpting (that I could remember) was back in elementary school, in a Sculpting enrichment class. Enrichment classes were electives that no one signed up for but had. My grade took sculpting for a year. I remember sculpting so many things. Sculpting is one of my super enjoyable memories from elementary school.
Fast-forward to middle school, which did not have sculpting. We took art lessons in middle school but did not get to do many individual creative artworks.
Then, it was high school. In Freshman year, I was in Connect and Create in the Guidance room, a program that allowed students to be artistic and use whatever materials available, and students could do whatever they wanted. I was immediately drawn to the clay and sculpted every time.
These creations were made from individually wrapped packets of white Crayola model magic clay and washable markers. The other sculptures were from a 5 1b bucket of Crayola air clay, acrylic paints, and Mod Podge sealer for a shiny coating. The materials used in making these sculptures were scissors/an X-acto knife, a ruler, water, a toothpick, and a pencil.
My main piece is the little figurine. That took a long time to make was, and still am, unfamiliar with human anatomy and how to craft something like it. I made the torso, the thighs, connected them with a waist, realized that the waist and torso were too short, chopped my creation in half and added more clay. After that, I worked on the hands, which were so tedious as they were small and prone to breaking. Then, I tackled the arms and legs, making a chair for the person to sit on, which helps me add the legs. I added extra details, and that was the figurine! It looks easy when you read the process, but it takes a good chunk of time.
I am so, so grateful to the art teachers and the CAI grant given to me by said teachers. They allowed me to craft freely and make my own schedule for crafting. Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity! I was really able to unlock my creativity with this grant and figure out how to make things that I've never made before.
The first time I did sculpting (that I could remember) was back in elementary school, in a Sculpting enrichment class. Enrichment classes were electives that no one signed up for but had. My grade took sculpting for a year. I remember sculpting so many things. Sculpting is one of my super enjoyable memories from elementary school.
Fast-forward to middle school, which did not have sculpting. We took art lessons in middle school but did not get to do many individual creative artworks.
Then, it was high school. In Freshman year, I was in Connect and Create in the Guidance room, a program that allowed students to be artistic and use whatever materials available, and students could do whatever they wanted. I was immediately drawn to the clay and sculpted every time.
These creations were made from individually wrapped packets of white Crayola model magic clay and washable markers. The other sculptures were from a 5 1b bucket of Crayola air clay, acrylic paints, and Mod Podge sealer for a shiny coating. The materials used in making these sculptures were scissors/an X-acto knife, a ruler, water, a toothpick, and a pencil.
My main piece is the little figurine. That took a long time to make was, and still am, unfamiliar with human anatomy and how to craft something like it. I made the torso, the thighs, connected them with a waist, realized that the waist and torso were too short, chopped my creation in half and added more clay. After that, I worked on the hands, which were so tedious as they were small and prone to breaking. Then, I tackled the arms and legs, making a chair for the person to sit on, which helps me add the legs. I added extra details, and that was the figurine! It looks easy when you read the process, but it takes a good chunk of time.
I am so, so grateful to the art teachers and the CAI grant given to me by said teachers. They allowed me to craft freely and make my own schedule for crafting. Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity! I was really able to unlock my creativity with this grant and figure out how to make things that I've never made before.
Aulinda (Zihan) Wei
The Essence of Music
This collage, shaped like a treble clef, represents the enduring importance of music as a universal language. Using fragments from NY Philharmonic-related materials, the piece embodies the richness of classical music and the role it plays in shaping culture and identity. Each piece of the collage reflects the intricate harmony and layers found in classical compositions, symbolizing how music weaves diverse elements into a cohesive and beautiful whole.
As the host of the podcast Operawheres, I explore the dynamic world of opera and classical music, diving into its history, impact, and relevance today. This artwork reflects my passion for the genre and the inspiration I draw from institutions like the NY Philharmonic, which continue to bring timeless music to life.
Through this piece, I hope to inspire others to see music as not just entertainment but as a fundamental pillar of human creativity and connection.
Title of your Artwork:
The Essence of Music
Materials used for your artwork:
Nyphil Playbill
Watercolor paper
Double sided grid tape
Pencil
This collage, shaped like a treble clef, represents the enduring importance of music as a universal language. Using fragments from NY Philharmonic-related materials, the piece embodies the richness of classical music and the role it plays in shaping culture and identity. Each piece of the collage reflects the intricate harmony and layers found in classical compositions, symbolizing how music weaves diverse elements into a cohesive and beautiful whole.
As the host of the podcast Operawheres, I explore the dynamic world of opera and classical music, diving into its history, impact, and relevance today. This artwork reflects my passion for the genre and the inspiration I draw from institutions like the NY Philharmonic, which continue to bring timeless music to life.
Through this piece, I hope to inspire others to see music as not just entertainment but as a fundamental pillar of human creativity and connection.
Title of your Artwork:
The Essence of Music
Materials used for your artwork:
Nyphil Playbill
Watercolor paper
Double sided grid tape
Pencil
Elizabeth Chao
Youth
My piece is an oil on panel exploration into the idea that dreams can reveal to us a person’s unconscious thoughts/desires and the psychological changes caused by societal pressures. Here’s a quote from Joseph Campell’s The Power of Myth that inspired me:
"The myth is the public dream and the dream is the private myth. If your private myth, your dream, happens to coincide with that of society, you are in good accord with your group. If it isn’t you’ve got an adventure in the dark forest ahead of you”
Elizabeth Chao
My piece is an oil on panel exploration into the idea that dreams can reveal to us a person’s unconscious thoughts/desires and the psychological changes caused by societal pressures. Here’s a quote from Joseph Campell’s The Power of Myth that inspired me:
"The myth is the public dream and the dream is the private myth. If your private myth, your dream, happens to coincide with that of society, you are in good accord with your group. If it isn’t you’ve got an adventure in the dark forest ahead of you”
Elizabeth Chao
Eva Kastoun
Fall Fawn
My artwork is an embroidered fawn. Before this project, I had never embroidered before which led to several failed attempts. However, using sewing skills that my grandmother taught me several years ago and several youtube videos, I managed to create a fawn. As I improved, I added small details such as spots and flowers.
I used several different colors of embroidery thread as well as an embroidery hoop and beginner embroidery fabric.
I am really grateful for the CAI program at Stuyvesant and all of the art teachers for the opportunity to learn embroidery and do this art project.
My artwork is an embroidered fawn. Before this project, I had never embroidered before which led to several failed attempts. However, using sewing skills that my grandmother taught me several years ago and several youtube videos, I managed to create a fawn. As I improved, I added small details such as spots and flowers.
I used several different colors of embroidery thread as well as an embroidery hoop and beginner embroidery fabric.
I am really grateful for the CAI program at Stuyvesant and all of the art teachers for the opportunity to learn embroidery and do this art project.
Nusaibah Karim
The start of the school year is an exciting time: new schedule, new classes, a fresh start. Old faces present themselves in new ways, strangers become friends, and friends become strangers.
With this project, I hope to capture the exciting uncertainty that comes every September as well as reflect on the way we change throughout a school year. Using 36 frames (1 roll) of 35mm film, the left half of each frame is exposed with pictures of my peers at the start of the school year and the right half with one of the same person at the end of the school year – like a photochemical time capsule. I’ve already taken half of each frame of the roll at the start of the school year, and will do the rest at the end, a week or two before graduation.
With the grant, I will be able to develop, scan, and print the roll as well as pay for any other costs that may arise with the camera or film. Below are two examples of photos taken with the same method, to give an idea of what the final project will look like.
With this project, I hope to capture the exciting uncertainty that comes every September as well as reflect on the way we change throughout a school year. Using 36 frames (1 roll) of 35mm film, the left half of each frame is exposed with pictures of my peers at the start of the school year and the right half with one of the same person at the end of the school year – like a photochemical time capsule. I’ve already taken half of each frame of the roll at the start of the school year, and will do the rest at the end, a week or two before graduation.
With the grant, I will be able to develop, scan, and print the roll as well as pay for any other costs that may arise with the camera or film. Below are two examples of photos taken with the same method, to give an idea of what the final project will look like.
Sadat Ahmed and Farzad
Hoque
Mother, Mother, Mother
When it comes to fellowship in Islam, we are quick to associate the term with peers of our own age. Companionship in our generation seems to be a phrase exclusive to classmates, buddies, and BFFs. There is a sort of in-the-moment importance we place on these relationships that makes them seem more worthy of our love and attention than our older, long-standing ones. It’s natural to want to broaden the scope of our communication or the size of our friend circle, but in doing so, we often forget our built-in best friends and the relationships we have possessed since our earliest days. This tendency to let old relationships pass by in a perfunctory manner is exemplified by the age-old relationship between a child and their mother. This is a bond created even before our birth, but one which is often appreciated much less than it deserves to be. After all, it's easier to focus on building new connections with friends rather than rebuilding relationships that seem to have been around forever. It’s easy to take such forms of companionship for granted.
Thus, our short film was shaped using the hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) outlined that one’s mother is most deserving of one’s best companionship 3 times before his or her father is. We feel that, just as much as our companions shape our character, our guardians, especially our mothers, are a crucial part of our conception of the deen growing up. A lot of the love we are able to show each other originates from the love of our parents, who are a mercy of Allah upon us. Hence, we wanted to touch upon the importance of mothers in Islam with our piece, alongside the theme of the importance of uplifting companionship. Companionship is emphasized as a theme through the main character, Fahad, being affected by both the beneficial and detrimental companions in his life. He struggles to reach out to his mother and leave the group of reckless robbers he has involved himself in. Unfortunately, the threads of bad companionship form a web in which poor souls are tangled—Fahad, Zain, Hassan, Asad, Hamza, and consequently Fahad’s mother. The memories of Fahad’s mom shine through this web, yet the web still constricts Fahad’s efforts to reach her again.
Often, we don’t realize our love for someone until it is too late to be with them. We hope that with our short film we can remind ourselves and others to give our loved ones flowers, so to speak, while they’re alive and well. Whether it's your classmates, buddies, BFFs, or your mother or father, it is crucial to appreciate and reciprocate the companionship we are blessed with. The treasure of fellowship can easily bear fruit with just some love. However, the treasure of fellowship can wilt under negligence even easier than that. All the love lost when you lose the treasure of fellowship is irreplaceable.
When it comes to fellowship in Islam, we are quick to associate the term with peers of our own age. Companionship in our generation seems to be a phrase exclusive to classmates, buddies, and BFFs. There is a sort of in-the-moment importance we place on these relationships that makes them seem more worthy of our love and attention than our older, long-standing ones. It’s natural to want to broaden the scope of our communication or the size of our friend circle, but in doing so, we often forget our built-in best friends and the relationships we have possessed since our earliest days. This tendency to let old relationships pass by in a perfunctory manner is exemplified by the age-old relationship between a child and their mother. This is a bond created even before our birth, but one which is often appreciated much less than it deserves to be. After all, it's easier to focus on building new connections with friends rather than rebuilding relationships that seem to have been around forever. It’s easy to take such forms of companionship for granted.
Thus, our short film was shaped using the hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) outlined that one’s mother is most deserving of one’s best companionship 3 times before his or her father is. We feel that, just as much as our companions shape our character, our guardians, especially our mothers, are a crucial part of our conception of the deen growing up. A lot of the love we are able to show each other originates from the love of our parents, who are a mercy of Allah upon us. Hence, we wanted to touch upon the importance of mothers in Islam with our piece, alongside the theme of the importance of uplifting companionship. Companionship is emphasized as a theme through the main character, Fahad, being affected by both the beneficial and detrimental companions in his life. He struggles to reach out to his mother and leave the group of reckless robbers he has involved himself in. Unfortunately, the threads of bad companionship form a web in which poor souls are tangled—Fahad, Zain, Hassan, Asad, Hamza, and consequently Fahad’s mother. The memories of Fahad’s mom shine through this web, yet the web still constricts Fahad’s efforts to reach her again.
Often, we don’t realize our love for someone until it is too late to be with them. We hope that with our short film we can remind ourselves and others to give our loved ones flowers, so to speak, while they’re alive and well. Whether it's your classmates, buddies, BFFs, or your mother or father, it is crucial to appreciate and reciprocate the companionship we are blessed with. The treasure of fellowship can easily bear fruit with just some love. However, the treasure of fellowship can wilt under negligence even easier than that. All the love lost when you lose the treasure of fellowship is irreplaceable.
Sarah Mo
A Collector’s Amalgamation
As a child, I’ve always had an obsession with collecting little knick-knacks: plastic containers, packaging, and cardboard. I told myself that I would use them for little projects, and I did, occasionally. As items piled up, my workspace was crowded with “trash”. I would insist that it could be solved with a shelf, but to no avail. Although I’ve since purged my room of most of these belongings, in creating this piece, I was given an excuse to feed my inner trash panda and scour for materials.
My artwork is a painted, apothecary-style set of drawers constructed out of cardboard, popsicle sticks, foam clay, a little wire, acrylic paint, and hot glue
On the left, a wilted rose withers, while on the right, budding chrysanthemums begin to blossom. This is meant to reflect how the sun sets in the west and rises in the east. Renewal is a common theme in Chinese folklore. With Stuyvesant’s lobby frame as a backdrop, high school is depicted as a major point of change.
There were a few challenges when creating this piece: battling against the dimensions of warped cardboard and creating the sculptural details.
Lacking the proper tools, I used a sheet of copy paper for creating right angles and templates to cut out of the material.
From creating this piece, I learned to have patience with the art process, and persevere, despite the hardships. Slowly putting the item together, piece by piece, I feel a sense of gratification when gazing upon the finished product.
As a child, I’ve always had an obsession with collecting little knick-knacks: plastic containers, packaging, and cardboard. I told myself that I would use them for little projects, and I did, occasionally. As items piled up, my workspace was crowded with “trash”. I would insist that it could be solved with a shelf, but to no avail. Although I’ve since purged my room of most of these belongings, in creating this piece, I was given an excuse to feed my inner trash panda and scour for materials.
My artwork is a painted, apothecary-style set of drawers constructed out of cardboard, popsicle sticks, foam clay, a little wire, acrylic paint, and hot glue
On the left, a wilted rose withers, while on the right, budding chrysanthemums begin to blossom. This is meant to reflect how the sun sets in the west and rises in the east. Renewal is a common theme in Chinese folklore. With Stuyvesant’s lobby frame as a backdrop, high school is depicted as a major point of change.
There were a few challenges when creating this piece: battling against the dimensions of warped cardboard and creating the sculptural details.
Lacking the proper tools, I used a sheet of copy paper for creating right angles and templates to cut out of the material.
From creating this piece, I learned to have patience with the art process, and persevere, despite the hardships. Slowly putting the item together, piece by piece, I feel a sense of gratification when gazing upon the finished product.
Trisha Kumar
Kanasu
My artwork is a color pencil drawing that celebrates the natural and cultural beauty of India.
During one of my trips to India, I went to a museum that showcased Raja Ravi Varma’s artwork.
I was inspired by the expressiveness of his paintings and how they portrayed Indian culture. My
drawing incorporates many elements of Ravi Varma’s paintings and elements from my own
imagination.
When I went to Ravi Varma’s museum, I saw many works of grandeur, but what touched me the
most was his simple watercolor painting of the milkmaid. Thus, I redrew her and made her the
center of my art piece. To me, she represents the sublime beauty and tradition of my culture as
well as innocence and simplicity.
The natural background of my painting was inspired by Ravi Varma’s “Shakuntala Patralekhan”.
The depiction of lush greenery, untamed wilderness, and the deer captivated me. It took me
back to memories of my own experiences in Indian villages and landscapes.
I am grateful for the extensive online resources and videos on youtube that helped me improve
my drawing techniques, especially when it came to trees and greenery. I took many risks along
the way, but every moment of it was a truly fun adventure.
Lastly, I want to thank Stuyvesant’s Creative Arts Initiative program for this wonderful
opportunity to share a bit of myself and my imagination with my school!
My artwork is a color pencil drawing that celebrates the natural and cultural beauty of India.
During one of my trips to India, I went to a museum that showcased Raja Ravi Varma’s artwork.
I was inspired by the expressiveness of his paintings and how they portrayed Indian culture. My
drawing incorporates many elements of Ravi Varma’s paintings and elements from my own
imagination.
When I went to Ravi Varma’s museum, I saw many works of grandeur, but what touched me the
most was his simple watercolor painting of the milkmaid. Thus, I redrew her and made her the
center of my art piece. To me, she represents the sublime beauty and tradition of my culture as
well as innocence and simplicity.
The natural background of my painting was inspired by Ravi Varma’s “Shakuntala Patralekhan”.
The depiction of lush greenery, untamed wilderness, and the deer captivated me. It took me
back to memories of my own experiences in Indian villages and landscapes.
I am grateful for the extensive online resources and videos on youtube that helped me improve
my drawing techniques, especially when it came to trees and greenery. I took many risks along
the way, but every moment of it was a truly fun adventure.
Lastly, I want to thank Stuyvesant’s Creative Arts Initiative program for this wonderful
opportunity to share a bit of myself and my imagination with my school!
Zac Moore
To be updated
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