The Y NSW Forward Thinking - Social Impact Project is an Online Leadership Program for young people across New South Wales.
Supported by NSW Government's Youth Opportunities Grant, the project has been working with over 50 young people, providing training in leadership and personal development.
The Through Our Eyes Art Exhibition expresses the diversity of the young artists.
Ellora Siva, 16
"Tell me a story" - Oil on canvas
In 2019, I travelled to Sri Lanka with my extended family to visit my grandparent's villages, school and homes. My grandparents were there with us, sharing stories of their childhood before the civil war. On this trip, as well as seeing the beauty in Jaffna, we could see the loss that the people felt. The war in Sri Lanka divided families and destroyed communities. This house that I have painted is my Appappa's old home, scarred with bullet holes and absorbed by the jungle. It tells the story of my grandpa, his struggles and achievements. It tells this story of the reality of war. It is a story that is too painful to hear and to tell. This house his made up of stories from different people, represented by the extracts from texts about the war in Sri Lanka. This artwork shares the stories of the Tamil people, sharing and representing my identity and culture.
Jing Qin, 14
"Rising Sun"
This artwork represent my identity by portraying a vital part of my life. I love the ocean and visiting the beach. The sea emanates a sense of calmness and peacefulness which I am drawn to and is a huge part of my life. My love of the ocean results in me going to the beach a lot and I immensely enjoy watching the sun rise and set over the horizon.
Dibu Li, 14
This artwork reflects my values, especially as a immigrant to a new country at a young age. I was immersed in both cultures- Chinese and Australian, and I chose to represent both cultures in the piece.
Kelly Zhao, 13
"Who am I?"
This artwork represents my identity and culture in lot of ways. It shows how much my school, Abbotsleigh, and the friends I have made through it are very important to me and how it makes up a large portion of me and my childhood. It also shows most of the hobbies that I like doing in my free time: Gardening, playing and taking care of my fish, drawing, versing my friends in basketball, spending quality time with my family and so on. This artwork also symbolises my culture through the traditional- well known food, dumplings. In case you didn’t also realise, I have drew this story in the form of Japanese manga, which is read right to left and have tried to draw the most simplified version possible to allow several meanings in a single frame. I believe I have portrayed myself overall quite well in this artwork.
Sarah Lumbroso, 17
"A thorn in time"
A thorn in time represents my family’s Jewish culture. The washed-out hand shows the resulting loss of Jewish culture during World War 2. This was an impact on my dad’s side of family as his father lost his parents as they sent him and his siblings away, to go to an orphanage in France, they wouldn’t go to a concentration camp. The salient image of the rose is symbolizing both beauty and pain. This shows the impact of the Nazi party’s values as the drop of blood shows the anguish that the people felt then and still feel now due to this thorn in time.
