18 Willows Artist Residency and Exhibition at ISB School (Nov 4-25, 2024)
These workshops focused on creating an immersive abstract forest installation with artworks from Elementary, Middle, and High School students. Hundreds of willow twig circles were woven into the school’s collaborative art work “Nest” .
The workshops began under 18 mature willow trees, where elementary students engaged in: tree painting, collage with leaves, feather crafting, and willow twig weaving. The workshops encouraged creativity, collaboration, and ecological awareness, students created temporary installations using natural materials, which were later photographed before being left for others to discover.
Leaf Prints by Elementary Students with Autumn Gown by IB Student
Elementary students learned about environmental connections, including the concept that the air we breathe connects us to forests and the wider community of life . Workshops often included joint activities where older students guided younger ones, fostering mentorship and cooperation. Contact with 850 elementary students over 6 days of workshops could not have been possible without the exceptional talents of Mr Michael Clarke , Ms Fei Zhao Ms Rena Wang and assistant teachers
Middle School students created monotype prints using chinese watercolor on rice paper, which were then framed by willow twig hoops for the exhibition. Their works contributed to an abstract forest scene with suspended, illuminated prints. Thank you to MS art teachers Queenie Allinson and Tess Moon.
Collaborative Art
Primed a couple of weeks before the residency Ms Yvette Stride introduced the Art One Class to more conceptual challenges, inspired by eco-philosophies. They created collaborative works like “The Wall of Whispers,” a mixed media piece representing mycelium networks inspired by deep systems thinker Gregory Batesons “The Pattern that Connects” .
IB Students led by head of Art Joseph Stewart these students developed individual projects inspired by Trees, the Earth Charter and various eco-philosophies producing artworks that addressed issues like environmental degradation, and also mathematical presence in Nature such as the Golden Ratio, monoprints of pine needles and many others.
A sound installation by assistant art teacher JinJing Tan captured the joyful voices of the students during workshops, adding a unique auditory layer to the exhibition.
A special addition to the exhibition was a visit from Snowland Art School from Gansu where Tenzin Dolma and her assistant Dhonchoe made a specially designed sand mandala for Peace which was encircled by global faiths, institutions, political systems , places humans live , landscapes, extending out to flags of countries. Tensin pointed out there were over 190 flags represented .
Yoga Instructor Yingying takes a stretch in the Nest
The NEST was a collaboration with operations team with special thanks to Yvonne Wong and Emma and workers Zhu Yinghua and Zhang Baojing. Highschool students helped weave the smaller branches into the base structure building up the floor base.
The exhibition opened on Nov 25, showcased the students’ creativity and collective efforts. Special thanks were given to teachers, assistants, and the school staff who supported the residency.
Special thank you to Emma Yang who assisted wonderfully for much of the residency , to head of High School Art Joseph Stewart and to Yvette Stride HighSchool Art who made this an exceptional experience .
Exhibition Contributors
BCIS Grade 11 Students
Elementary Art Classes
Grade 6, 7 and 8 Classes
Art 1 Classes
IB Art 1
Andrew Walton, Bonnie Sung, David Sun, Dhonchoe, Emma Yang, Erya He, Fei Zhao, Jinjing Tan, Joseph Stewart, Joy He, Joy Yi, Ling Tong, Luna Xu, Melanie Fischer, Michael Clarke, Niamh Cunningham, Rena Wang, Queenie Allinson, Tenzin Dolma, Tess Moon, XinXin Chen , Yvonne Wang, Yvette Stride, Zhu Yinghua, Zhang Baojun
Special Thanks
Chen Chen, Clair Cheng, Diego Trenado, Estella Tsang, Franco Dionco, Hanbing Wang, Jocelyn , Lynn Yang, Jason Wang, Ji Guo, Ji Long, Liu Changlin, Liu Baochao, Liu Mingchen, Mao Zhiyong, Nick Yates, Piotr Firlus, Wayne King, Zhang Cunwu
Sorting and arranging willow twigs for weaving
