2024 Senior nominees
Angelina zayats - BUFFALO GROVE HIGH SCHOOL
There’s nothing more innocent than a fairy tale. There’s nothing darker than a fairytale. They coexist. It’s terrifying, it's gruesome, it's sickening. It's beautiful. It fascinates me.
Like most children, I grew up with fairy tales, reading, watching, making my own, and to this day fairy tales play a big role in the creation of my art. I think we have a lot to learn from these tales as there is such a wide realm of possibilities in exploring the darker sides of these stories. I want to capture the beauty of the dark and macabre alongside the uneasiness of innocence and naivety, mingling together in stories that can end in tragedy or freedom, all depending on the interpretation.
Much of my work tells a story, creating a snapshot of a bigger picture. My goal is to make the viewer wonder of the events leading up to that moment in time, and what happens after, leaving just enough context and clues in the details to hint at the whole story. Why did the little boy get lost? What will happen to him now that he is in the Erlking’s domain? Will he escape, or will he meet the same fate as the dove by the tree roots?
I started this journey striving to make my art look like an illustration from a children’s book from the golden age of illustration, studying the mark making of ink and brushstrokes of watercolor. As I progressed, so did my mediums, branching away from the traditional mediums to explore more modern mediums of marker.
Throughout my four years in high school, I saw an incredible improvement in my art skills, thanks to the support I got from my teachers and peers. I can only imagine what my work will look like in the future, and I will work hard to hone my skills to the best they can be.
Like most children, I grew up with fairy tales, reading, watching, making my own, and to this day fairy tales play a big role in the creation of my art. I think we have a lot to learn from these tales as there is such a wide realm of possibilities in exploring the darker sides of these stories. I want to capture the beauty of the dark and macabre alongside the uneasiness of innocence and naivety, mingling together in stories that can end in tragedy or freedom, all depending on the interpretation.
Much of my work tells a story, creating a snapshot of a bigger picture. My goal is to make the viewer wonder of the events leading up to that moment in time, and what happens after, leaving just enough context and clues in the details to hint at the whole story. Why did the little boy get lost? What will happen to him now that he is in the Erlking’s domain? Will he escape, or will he meet the same fate as the dove by the tree roots?
I started this journey striving to make my art look like an illustration from a children’s book from the golden age of illustration, studying the mark making of ink and brushstrokes of watercolor. As I progressed, so did my mediums, branching away from the traditional mediums to explore more modern mediums of marker.
Throughout my four years in high school, I saw an incredible improvement in my art skills, thanks to the support I got from my teachers and peers. I can only imagine what my work will look like in the future, and I will work hard to hone my skills to the best they can be.
Maria Negrete - elk grove high school
Where do we find nature? Sometimes it may be hard to identify in the suburbs. But, if we observe closer in our surroundings it is everywhere, in the quiet moments, a bee buzzing, a caterpillar crawling, a moth fluttering, a bird gathering nesting materials. As I wander around my house and community I observe nature coexisting with humans. As a nature lover, I look outside myself and have great wonder for the spaces that I do not get to observe as well, like the ocean. I appreciate all life forms and consider it a gift and privilege to watch animals and insects go about their way of maintaining their livelihood.
Art and nature provided to me a sense of escapism, from the daily hustle and bustle of real life. As humans our focus tends to be on work, studies, money and the future, while the livelihood of animals’ focus is on the future in creating life and ensuring the future of their kind. They care only for the growing of their colony or their nest to ensure that their species goes on and thrives. Human life is much more complex and as a result it is nice to find comfort in a bee pollinating, a bird nesting and a moth resting. It is in these observed moments that I find happiness, gratitude and comfort.
Art and nature provided to me a sense of escapism, from the daily hustle and bustle of real life. As humans our focus tends to be on work, studies, money and the future, while the livelihood of animals’ focus is on the future in creating life and ensuring the future of their kind. They care only for the growing of their colony or their nest to ensure that their species goes on and thrives. Human life is much more complex and as a result it is nice to find comfort in a bee pollinating, a bird nesting and a moth resting. It is in these observed moments that I find happiness, gratitude and comfort.
Rachel Rafik - JOHN HERSEY HIGH SCHOOL
I find solace in darkness, and explore this theme, specifically the underworld with an emphasis on Greek mythology. I especially resonate with this theme because throughout my life I’ve been exposed to hardship and grew to find comfort in its cold embrace. As if a blanket was draped over me, I grew distant from my surroundings ADD SOMETHING. With my art, instead of focusing on that detachment, I returned that same embrace.
As for Greek mythology, I’m drawn to its dark and complex history, and know the lore of most of it starting from Chaos and Gaia. For example, Zeus married his sister Hera and often cheated on her with both Gods and humans alike. Behind the scenes, Aphrodite was controlling his lust for women just to see vengeful Hera punish him.
I want to elicit a reaction from the viewer, causing them to double take that first glance, and find the same comfort I do. To do so, I crossed over from reality into the what-ifs. What if the underworld were real? And what about the Greek Gods? How would that look? My art is the visualization of all the what-ifs. Composed of black and white media and extremely high contrast, the cold became real.
As for Greek mythology, I’m drawn to its dark and complex history, and know the lore of most of it starting from Chaos and Gaia. For example, Zeus married his sister Hera and often cheated on her with both Gods and humans alike. Behind the scenes, Aphrodite was controlling his lust for women just to see vengeful Hera punish him.
I want to elicit a reaction from the viewer, causing them to double take that first glance, and find the same comfort I do. To do so, I crossed over from reality into the what-ifs. What if the underworld were real? And what about the Greek Gods? How would that look? My art is the visualization of all the what-ifs. Composed of black and white media and extremely high contrast, the cold became real.
Arianna Tiu - prospect high school
My work primarily consists of experimental pieces, each aiming to push the limits of what photography can achieve, including chemicals, like cyanotype, physical manipulation of polar emulsion, and camera obscura. I enjoy learning about these unpredictable and dynamic processes through my intentional departure to conform. I try to spark a dialogue on the expansive possibilities beyond the confines of a traditional artistic medium. Creating Polaroid emulsion lifts is a testament to my perseverance as an artist as they are delicate; the nature of the emulsion demands patience and precision, requiring meticulous process to detach the image from its original surface. Integrated into my multimedia collages, the emulsion images become dynamic elements within a larger narrative. The combination of fragility and creativity pushes me forward in my exploration of experimental processes. A deep and personal connection to my lived experiences is at the heart of my creative practice. I portray my emotions, channeled from many real-life encounters, into the essence of my art. The relationship to my personal stories allows for a stronger connection with the viewer.
Emily Podejko - ROLLING MEADOWS HIGH SCHOOL
From a young age, drawing has been my emotional outlet. Throughout my life I have struggled with anxiety, often making communication difficult for me. Drawing was a way for me to cope with my anxiety and communicate with the world. My drawing has evolved over the years into different forms including oil painting and digital art. Through my oil paintings, I show beauty in things that are often overlooked. My oil paintings reflect my life experiences, dramatized through bold brush strokes and arbitrary colors in unusual places. My digital art is inspired by my vivid imagination and dreams. Through digital art, my imagination and dreams are brought to life. Creating is a way for me to express my emotions and escape the anxieties of the physical world. In the future, I aspire to share my art skills with the next generations of students as an art teacher. There is nothing I enjoy more than sharing my experiences and imagination with others through art.
Danny Zavala Mendez - wheeling high school
My sustained investigation focuses on the problems of body/muscle dysmorphia which often leads to eating disorders and substance abuse. I choose a topic that doesn’t receive much attention or conversation, which is the ways that competitive body building leads to unhealthy choices and body dysmorphia in men. I wanted to illustrate how individuals might behave, think and act within the competitive bodybuilding world. Even the products and social media that bodybuilders use can change their view of what’s acceptable and what is not.
I spent a lot of time photographing bodybuilders and I converse with them about their own insecurities related to body image. I would work back into the images in photoshop and would reflect those insecurities back into the work. I also experimented with light projection & incorporation of text, because in bodybuilding there is so much recording of macros & data that can lead to further eating disorders. I also experimented with marketing & labeling, to emphasize how companies try to exploit sometimes unobtainable bodybuilding goals.
I spent a lot of time photographing bodybuilders and I converse with them about their own insecurities related to body image. I would work back into the images in photoshop and would reflect those insecurities back into the work. I also experimented with light projection & incorporation of text, because in bodybuilding there is so much recording of macros & data that can lead to further eating disorders. I also experimented with marketing & labeling, to emphasize how companies try to exploit sometimes unobtainable bodybuilding goals.
