Every year, Hagley College students produce amazing Art portfolios. Here are the stories behind two students' work from 2021.

Heather Wright (Year 13, 2021)

My Level 3 Sculpture portfolio is entitled: 'Feminism in Fashion.' I started the year with a strong idea of focusing on clothing because it is a medium I really love to explore. As well as visual art I am also very passionate about theatre and was interested in applying performance art to my folio work. In March I performed a New Zealand feminist play called 'BOYS' by Eleanor Bishop. The play discusses issues such as toxic masculinity, drinking culture, and sexism in New Zealand rugby, thus inspiring my theme. My folio was created to discuss gender stereotypes and to juxtapose feminine and masculine qualities. The majority of my work was created using crochet as seen throughout the folio. I included wool and material to contrast with corrugated iron and wire to represent feminine and masculine energy. Towards the end of the process I used woodwork to creates shapes for the larger sculptures. I definitely had a few mental blocks that made it hard to keep producing original work. My workbook has many pages of ideas that were not used and I even have sculptures I started creating that did not end up in the final cut. The August 2021 lockdown was refreshing for my creative process and allowed me to keep working from home. Though it was my first time creating a sculpture body of work, I really enjoyed the process and the challenges surrounding three-dimensional art. In 2022 I will be studying a Bachelor of Arts at Otago University majoring in Theatre with minor papers in Gender Studies and Sociology.

Lachlan McGrail (Year 12, 2021)

My Level 3 Photography portfolio is entitled: 'New Zealand's Forgotten Landmarks.' As someone who has always had a passion for Urban Exploration, I want others to see the beauty behind the walls of these derelict landmarks. I use photography as a way to document the places I've been and to display my passion for these Urban Adventures. The portfolio is a combination of RAW images and manipulated images through the use of photoshop techniques. A lot of joy in my work comes from the exploration itself. It's a joyful experience to come across a new location that hasn't been raided by vandals. 

The art that is displayed by anonymous artists is always something to admire. It's a whole new world in these places. They are places that we see everyday and typically choose to ignore. Urban exploring is often frowned upon by many people, which can cause some issues. But that's all apart of it and it creates an even better story to tell about each and every photo. I plan to continue freelancing as a photographer this year.