Annika Carleton You're so vanitas 2023. Oil paint, canvas, gloss varnish, pearlex powdered pigment, sequin, 76 x 101 cm. Perth Modern School. Photo: Christophe Canato Photography.
Ruth Mengler Self portrait 2023. Acrylic paint on canvas, 91 x 61 cm. John XXIII College. Christophe Canato Photography.
Josh Laboudeuse Harmonie Creole 2023. Screen printing hand-pulled 4 colour cymk and collage and QR code for digital video, three parts: 87.5 x 71 cm each. Corpus Christi College. Photo: Christophe Canato Photography.
WA's talented young artists are celebrated in this yearly showcase, gauging the pulse of young people who will influence, empower and shape the world we live in.
The selected works provide a window into young people’s private, social and artistic concerns. It is an inspiring, rewarding and insightful look at the world through the minds of our most talented young artists.
This year’s exhibition celebrates 32 years and features 60 works by 2023 Year 12 Visual Arts graduates from 36 schools across WA.
The works were selected by a judging panel including Lisa Bowden, Principal Consultant Visual Arts, Department of Education; Bahar Sayed, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art; and Artist Yabini Kickett.
This year The West Australian Pulse artists explore themes of mental health and social pressures, gender and culture, environmentalism and technology.
In 2024, we again invite WA's talented young creatives to unleash their creativity at the State Art Gallery, amplifying the Pulse program to provide a platform to showcase the State's young talent across all creative forms. Follow us @artgallerywa for programming announcements.
Get to know some of the talented young artists behind this year’s The West Australian Pulse, including the addition of video interviews highlighting personal journeys, concepts and material practices.
Selected by Anthony De Ceglie, Editor in Chief, West Australian Newspapers, in consultation with a selection of exhibitors from last year's The West Australian Pulse 2023, the Award recipient receives $2,500. Congratulations to Emily Sim from Hillside Christian College for her work Reading, writing, 'rithmetic, ranting,ruination... 2023.
Artist's statement
Reading, writing, 'rithmetic, ranting, ruination... investigates the dual nature of educational environments which offer support for some students while harming others. It reflects the benefits and drawbacks of Australia's school systems, drawing from my personal experience in education. The installation serves as a metaphor for the complexity of academic life. Externally, students present themselves confidently and flawlessly to teachers and assessors, concealing internal struggles and psychological breakdown. The artwork captures the spectrum of emotions associated with the school environment, from monotony to anguish to distortion.
Visitors to this year's exhibition were encouraged to vote for their favourite work in The West Australian Pulse 2024 People's Choice Award. Congratulations to this year's winner Aaron Yong from Perth Modern School for his work 你回来了(You are back) 2023. Aaron received the most votes and receives $2,500. The school the artist attended receives an AGWA workshop and tour package. And one lucky voter wins a $100 AGWA Design Store voucher.
Artist's statement
你回来了(You are back) reflects the confusion and anxiety of living between two cultures. Becoming more fluent in English led to the fading of my native language, Hakka. Now, my conversations in Hakka are short and fragmented. Losing my language parallels the vanishing memories of my childhood. The shattered depiction of China Town amid an industrial urban landscape symbolises this loss and fracture. The repetition of cultural and nostalgic objects creates a sense of chaos, conveying the stress of navigating my cultural heritage and the Western lifestyle. Originally detailed with graphite pencil, I then transitioned the drawing to a large-scale, colour print.
Download The West Australian Pulse 2024 Artwork Labels
Download The West Australian Pulse 2024 Sensory and Access Map
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GALLERY OPEN
Wed to Mon 10am-5pm
Closed Tuesdays, Good Friday and Christmas Day
Entry is free, donations welcomed. Special exhibitions may incur a ticket fee.