Young Artists Summer Show celebrates its third year and we were impressed by the immense talent and art pieces on display created by students aged 5-19 studying in the UK and British schools overseas. A total of 572 artworks were selected for this year’s show from an overwhelming 33,000 submitted pieces.
There were photograph quality painted portraits, colourful sculptures made of sweets and cardboard turned into puppets. Young artists reflected on the challenges of a tough year through a variety of different mediums including digital, textiles, wood, painting and more.
The show made a lasting impression and got us talking about what we saw, what we liked the most and what we might try to create ourselves. Here are our top 5 reasons why we think you should visit:
Because it is a great way to introduce children to art shows
As any parent knows, every child is a budding artist. They naturally love to draw, build and create using all art and craft materials that are on hand. Taking them to art shows and art galleries where children’s work is displayed opens up a whole world of inspiration. Little Londoners can see that it is possible to have art exhibited from a very young age. They can draw inspiration from their peers and rejoice in pieces like the Bread Chair by Katharine, age 8.
Most importantly, a show with such a variety of works encourages us all to see that there are no boundaries and no restrictions to ways of employing art to express feelings. Sinya (age 6) ‘Playground at Alexandra Park’ drawing reminds us of the precious freedom to play outside during the lockdown.
Interact with colourful sculptures
The Young Artists’ Show has all variety of artworks on display and some of the sculptures are totally bonkers. Expect to find a rhino made from chicken wire, newspaper, paint and glue titled Lanku – Save the Rhino or a stack of bright colourful stack of sweets aptly titled Human Desire by Angela (age 18) made from paper, clay and acrylic paint. There are plenty of funny ones like the cute chick ‘Popped out of my Head’ created by Charlotte, age 9 from paper mache or the brilliantly executed ‘Re-Form’ sculpture by Nathanael, age 17, made of wood and Slate.
Inspire the kids (and parents)
There is so much going on in the exhibition space. If you are able to encourage your little humans to talk about what they see and liked and follow it up with an attempt to create your own art at home, then the show’s aim to inspire and motivate has been accomplished. As for the parents, this event gives a lot of insight into how young generation experience the world around them. Many pieces on display are born from a child’s observation and understanding of what goes on around them and how that impacts on their feelings. This collection offers a glance into what it means to be a young person today and how they see the future unfolding for them.
Kyla age8, Amy age 9, Rafi age 11, Doron age 13, Aitan age 15, Matty age 16 and Yael (team leader) age 18.
“COVID-19 makes me feel we are locked in a simplified world. It also feel we are living as history is being made. I made a fake cave wall out of a piece of bent metal sheet and sand and coloured it to look like rock. I found out that cavemen blew paint to make handprints, and I did this too, and then used charcoal to draw the images that remind me of COVID-19 and coloured them with earthy colours. There are pictures of the NHS rainbow, baking, camping, hands, face, space, Joe Wickes, Zoom, and my cat Nutmeg. My mummy and I have a COVID-19 virus on our hands as we were ill.”
Freddie, age 8
Cavid
Discover the artists of tomorrow
Art has this amazing quality of expanding the mind and offering new perspectives and insights of our lives. Events like Young Artists’ Summer Show are a homage to all those who support and encourage creativity and celebrate the role of art in education. Behind each art piece on display here, there are amazing parents and teachers who know how to nurture and encourage the future generation to develop and experiment with their artistic skills. The Royal Academy has a long history of promoting the appreciation and understanding of arts and continues to open up their postgraduate programme to students who want to develop their practise. We are expecting big things from this year’s cohort and hope they will continue to adorn art gallery walls in the years to come.
It’s a great (and free) day out
Royal Academy is in a great location, in the heart of Mayfair, surrounded by some of the best London parks that look resplendent this time of the year. We love to hop over to the Diana Memorial playground in Hyde Park, check out the outdoor art trail in Mayfair, stop by The World of FAO Swarz in Selfridges or pop into the Marble Arch Mound that is opening on July 26th. Check out our events and what’s on pages to get further inspiration.
The Young Artists’ Summer Show opened on 14 July and runs until 8 of August. Access is free but you must book a ticket via their website.