Wellingtonians are getting outstanding art school offers

YeunHae

Wellington College Tianjin

Architecture – The Bartlett School

The application process is rigorous. One of the most challenging aspects is the ‘Bartlett Drawing Task’ in which an applicant must submit a series of drawn responses to a prompt. Sometimes the prompt is just one word! It is an all-or-nothing qualification, and they will not even look at a portfolio if your drawings do not catch their eye. Through the application process, YeunHae demonstrated his technical excellence, capacity for imagination and courage to push artistic boundaries.

“As a student who loves design and technology and art,” says YeunHae, “I knew that architecture was for me, and my biggest goal was to get into the Bartlett School. I have enjoyed researching their work, watching their online lectures and these gave me a huge passion and motivation to be one of them one day.”

Cindy

Wellington College International Shanghai

Illustration – SVA, UAL, Parsons, Pratt, SAIC

To Cindy, art is a force for good in society. “I see the process of creation as a journey of finding my identity, being the director of my own story and contributing responsibly to society,” she explains. “I hope to publish my illustrated books and create narrative images that ensure marginalised people’s voices are heard.” 

With this drive and clear sense of purpose, Cindy applied to art schools in the UK, the US and Canada. “The most challenging part was preparing my art portfolio, which ranged from 12 to 45 pages,” she recalls. “Since I applied to art schools in three different countries, I had three different sets of requirements to meet.” She managed to balance this daunting task with her IB studies and ultimately got offers from schools like the University of the Arts London (UAL) and the School of Visual Arts in New York City (SVA). Both schools boast impressive alumni. Painter David Hockney and sculptor Anish Kapoor, for instance, studied visual art at UAL. Contemporary artists Keith Haring and Kaws graduated from SVA.

Kens

Wellington College Tianjin

Fashion & Textile – Central Saint Martins

Before enrolling at Wellington College Tianjin, Kens was studying to be a singer. But after a few courses in fine art, DT and textiles, he discovered yet another passion: fashion. He still cultivated his vocal talents, finding creative outlets like Wellington College Tianjin’s a capella singing group, the Wellatonics. But he eventually decided on a career path that would lead to fashion design with a focus on men’s apparel.

From then on, his goal was clear: studying at UAL. During the application process, he worked closely with his teachers to build up a complete portfolio of designs. “Mrs Iddison, for example, often gave me advice on how to get the most out of fabrics and she was always available to offer constructive feedback and advice on my work,” he recalls. 

To build his skill set, Kens also attended a summer programme taught by the head of UAL’s fashion department. The experience was challenging and intimidating at first, but he soon applied what he learned from his textile and art classes at Wellington. This led to the successful completion of an independent project, increased confidence and a letter of recommendation.  Next fall, he will attend UAL’s Central Saint Martins College, a school that has produced fashion icons like Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen.