Pupil wins International Art Competition

A talented young artist in the Junior School has won an international prep school competition for her inspirational watercolour painting of her mother, who is an NHS doctor. Year 4 pupil, Kai Li Liong was awarded the grand prize after being selected by a panel of judges.

The competition tasked children aged 6-13 from over 70 of the world’s leading schools to submit a piece of artwork which represented something or someone which had inspired them.  Over 160 entries were received which were viewed by the judging panel chaired by IAPS Chief Executive Christopher King.

Kai Li’s painting of her mother greatly impressed the judging panel who crowned her the winner of this prestigious competition.  Fellow Year 2 pupil, Marnie Kirsh’s watercolour painting of Ernest Shackleton also impressed the judges who named her one of the runners-up. Both girls will receive their prize at a special ceremony in Bishopsgate where their artworks will also be on display.

Year 4 pupil, Kai Li Leong, said:

My role model is my mum because she is an NHS doctor who treats the elderly, so in the past two years she has been seeing covid patients. She is always very determined to help her patients. I admire her because she is always so understanding to her patients’ families who are worried about their relatives, and she always tries her best to explain what is happening. Sometimes she even gets thank you cards from her patients who have survived covid (and they occasionally come with chocolate!). She is very good at keeping us all safe at home even when she comes in contact with covid every day!

 

Christopher King, Chief Executive Officer of IAPS, said:

We say it every year, but the quality and creativity of artwork we receive each year never fails to impress us. This year we wanted to tap into what has inspired the children most over the course of Covid-19, and it’s been humbling to see portraits of friends who have encouraged them to be themselves, parents who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and popular celebrities in sport, literature, art and environmental activism all coming through.

We’ve been inspired reviewing the entries this year, and we truly believe the competition is a valuable way to encourage creativity and imagination within students.

My warmest congratulations and huge thanks to every student that participated, and we look forward to seeing the finalists artwork presented on the wall at our iart exhibition.