Young Mandurah artist seeks harmony through art

The 14-year-old resident recently took this year’s Masterpieces 2K17 Youth Art Competition People’s Choice Award home for her piece Harmony, a watercolour and ink piece about the acceptance of cultural and religious differences in Australia.

Ella has experienced settling in Australia coming from a different cultural background herself, after moving from the Philippines in 2014.

She is passionate about art, where she has found a safe space to express her own opinion and world view.

“Art has really helped me cope with difficult situations in my life, such as moving to Australia from Philippines in 2014,” she said.

“[It] has been my growing passion since I was little, starting art classes when I was seven and continuing my endeavours throughout my schooling.

"The artwork I have chosen to exhibit shows how most of our society has begun to accept others despite their differences in culture, religion and skin colour; or it can portray the strong, hard-working personalities of the young women of this generation.”

Mandurah’s annual Masterpieces 2K17 Youth Art Competition showcases a collection of artworks exploring the current social perspectives of Mandurah’s creative youth community.

Artists aged between 13 and 25 years old can submit painting, drawing, print, digital media, sculpture and mixed media artworks in three different age categories.

The selected works are exhibited at the Contemporary Art Spaces Mandurah (CASM) gallery for art lovers to browse around and discover the region’s emerging talent.

“The Masterpieces 2K17 competition provides a great opportunity for the talented young people in our community to showcase their works on a public platform,” Mandurah mayor Marina Vergone said.

“The calibre of works we have seen throughout the years since Masterpieces started is outstanding.”