It wasn’t until Adelina Holil joined Young Mercies, a school group dedicated to raising awareness on issues associated with ethical trading, that she began to learn the ugly truth behind child labour and sweatshops.
Moved by the stories she heard, Adelina focused her energy on creating a powerful piece of work to make consumers question their decisions when it came to the consumption of items created in these sweatshops.
Monkey bars reveal the dark secrets of child exploitation behind the production of our clothing. I want to people to think about where their clothing came from and who made them. I constructed a paradox of the children forced to work by placing them in playful poses on a clothes rack depicting what they should be doing: playing.
“The designs of the clothes, the chains, ropes and graffiti, symbolise how these children are forced to be slaves and the hardships they endure. The placement of the hangers imitates monkey bars; symbolising a childhood memory they may never have.”
Its originality, the narrative and technical execution did not go unnoticed by the Gallery with Adelina being awarded the 2017 Year 12 Perspectives Packers’ Prize for her work.
Under the guidance of art teacher and mentor Denise Fitzgerald, Monkey bars took eight months to complete.
“Denise provided guidance throughout the whole process, sharing ideas and showing me where areas of my work could be improved. I definitely think I’ve become a better artist through her.”
Denise has taught art at Mercedes College for almost seven years and believes in challenging her students to find meaning in all their work.
I challenge my students to consider using materials to add meaning to their artwork and to create visually dynamic compositions.
Adelina worked extremely hard to apply this advice in the planning of her artwork and we are all extremely proud of her achievement.
Adelina’s work is on display at the Year 12 Perspectives exhibition currently showing at the Gallery until 16 July 2018.
FOR SCHOOLS
We encourage schools who are planning a self-guided visit to Year 12 Perspectives to book in, the information allows us to manage groups and numbers each day and to notify you of anything that might affect your visit.
All school bookings for self-guided tours of Perspectives: educate@artgallery.wa.gov.au
Study Day: How to be original when nothing is?
10am-3pm, Tuesday 24 April
Teachers $45 | Students $20
Suitable for Teachers and Students Years 9-11 | Limited places
Study Day is an opportunity for students and their teachers to gain valuable insight into strategies for communicating original ideas in their Year 12 works. The day will include curator insights and tour, expert panel discussion, a practical workshop for students and Professional Development session for teachers, and creative strategies for managing stress.
All enquiries: educate@artgallery.wa.gov.au
