International high school students express pain from global conflict through art

Students of the London International Academy are sharing reflections on global culture and politics through the school's annual International Art Exhibition.

The show opened Tuesday at the private boarding high school in downtown London, Ont. Students from all over the world are showing off paintings, drawings, photographs and films that express their innermost thoughts and feelings relating to personal experiences as well as ongoing current events.

"Everybody says a picture is worth a thousand words, and it is the truth," said Abeera Atique, art educator and IB diploma program co-ordinator at London International Academy.

"Whatever an artist is feeling on the inside, that's what you put out on your palate, and that's what goes on to the canvas. So it's giving the students a chance to have a voice in whether they're missing their country and they're expressing their culture, or whether they're expressing an emotion. Art is the best vehicle, in my opinion, to express that."

War, peace common themes

Many of the students are on their own for the first time as young teenagers, Atique said, and only some are comfortable fully expressing themselves in English. Creating art is a way for them to break language barriers and connect on a deeper level. 

War and striving to find peace amid conflict are common themes in the exhibit. 

Kristina Orbova, 17, had started classes with Anna Semonova, 16, a mere day before the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February. Orbova, from Russia, and Semonova, of Ukraine, each made paintings based on how the event impacted their friendship. 

"We put in both of the artworks the unity, the support we gave to each other during these hard times," said Orbova. 

Anhelina Yehorova, 16, came from Ukraine at the end of August. In the painting she's most proud of, she depicts a young boy from Kherson who survived the nine-month occupation. Russian President Vladimir Putin stands behind and keeps the boy prisoner in his arms. 

"I call this artwork 'Stolen Childhood,' because I think the boy should just play with his friends and enjoy his life at this age, not fight for his life," said Yehorova. "And that's why I also portrayed Putin who's holding this boy, because he is the reason for all these sufferings, because he stole childhood from all Ukrainian kids and me." 

Pride in cultures

Kazakhstani students Yaroslava Sokolova, 17, and Dana Ongdassyn, 17, took to the canvas to share pride in their cultures. 

Sokolova spent two months painting a scene of three Kazakh horsemen in honour of what she called an important part of her country's history. 

"Because if we're not going to appreciate that moment in the history, we're just going to forget about them," she said. 

Ongdassyn's work also addresses Islamophobia. She painted an image of a friend who took her own life after experiencing prejudice in France. 

"I tried to portray her with [my] eyes because we were close," said Ongdassyn, "and I tried to portray her and me together because we've been through a lot of stuff together." 

Dejah Pinder, 16 and from The Bahamas, made paintings and sculptures focused on the topic of racism. Her two most prominent pieces depict a young version of George Floyd contrasted against an image of him as a man before his death. 

"I want to show that even from a young age he was discriminated against [and] the racism that was used against him was manifested even from such a young age," said Pinder. 

The 22 students featured in the show spent 200 hours in preparation, said Atique. The International Art Exhibition is open to the public at 365 Richmond Street and runs until Jan. 30.