Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you doing today? I hope you're really feeling pretty good.

My name is Ms. Hasal, and I'll be your art teacher for today.

Our lesson is one I'm really excited about because it's got a very interesting theme.

We'll be exploring identity, and the lesson is called Curating identity: choosing what to show in art.

It comes from the unit of work Personal identity.

I hope you're interested in exploring aspects of identity and how this can be represented and shown through art.

Let's explore together.

The outcome for today's lesson is: I can analyse and create artwork that explores how artists choose to conceal or reveal aspects of identity.

Sounds pretty interesting.

Let's get into it.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through each of them.

Identity.

This is the way an artist represents themselves or others through art.

Conceal.

When an artist hides or obscures parts of their identity, maybe through using abstraction, symbolism, or selective representation.

Reveal.

When an artist intentionally shares aspects of identity, history, or emotions through choices in their work.

And symbolism.

These are objects, colours, or imagery in art to represent deeper meanings or ideas beyond their literal appearance.

These are our keywords: identity, conceal, reveal, and symbolism.

Let's be on the lookout for them, they'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson is called Curating identity: choosing what to show in art.

We've got two parts to this lesson.

There is first of all, how is identity explored and expressed? And then, literal and symbolic representation.

Let's begin with how is identity explored and expressed? Let's hear from Laura.

"If I want to make work that explores and expresses my identity, how do I find out what my identity is?" What a great question.

Aspects of our identities can change over time, and we can often move between multiple identities.

Laura's identity is multifaceted and is not limited to one thing, such as her passport, which is a form of identification, what she sees in the mirror, who she was when she was younger, her social media presence.

And that's true for all of us, our identities are multifaceted.

Laura can select a part or parts of her identity to explore through her art, craft, or design.

She can select the appropriate media, techniques, and materials to express her ideas.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby what are some aspects of your identity that you might like to explore through art, craft, or design? Thanks for sharing.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Identity is just about how we look.

Pause the video and decide if that's true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

Identity is not just about how we look, it's about who we are, how we feel, and how we connect to the world.

Hmm, take a look at this illustration.

What does this illustration tell you about the identity of the artist? Pause the video, share with someone nearby.

Let's hear from Aisha and Jacob.

"The illustrator may belong to a community that is often ignored.

The 'roar' might symbolise the need for loud action to be heard." Jacob.

"The use of 'us' implies solidarity and shared experience, suggesting that the illustrator is part of a group identity striving for recognition." Yeah, great points from both Aisha and Jacob.

I wonder if you had something similar that came to mind.

Take a look at this image.

What does this multimedia piece tell us about the identity of the artist? So pause the video, take a very good look, and then share with someone nearby.

What does this piece, multimedia piece, tell you about the identity of the artist? Let's hear from Jacob.

"The artist has added drawings, maybe to symbolise how identity is constructed, possibly thinking of social media.

The artist might be exploring the idea of altering one's identity to fit different roles." Yeah, a really interesting point, Jacob.

And Aisha.

"The artist has used neon colours and patterns which are often linked to cyber culture, gaming, or digital art, suggesting their identity might be connected to technology and modern visual culture." Again, great observations, Aisha.

I wonder if you had any ideas like these ones.

Take a look at this mural.

What does this mural tell you about the identity of the artist? Pause the video, share with someone nearby.

I wonder what Jacob has to say.

"Regardless of their background, the artist likely identifies as someone committed to racial equity and activism.

The mural may indicate that the artist sees themselves as part of a collective identity and movement." And Aisha.

"Whether they're Black or an ally, the mural suggests that the identity of the artist is deeply rooted in issues of racial justice, activism, and community representation." Fantastic observations.

Artists have always explored and expressed identity in their work, and they do not always do this through traditional portraits.

Identity is not just about how we look, it's about who we are, how we feel, and how we connect to the world.

Literal representation.

Some artists choose realistic portraits to directly capture their identity, focusing on physical likeness, emotions, or history.

Their work may be highly detailed or traditional in style, allowing them to present themselves as they see fit.

Claudette Elaine Johnson MBE RA is a British visual artist known for her large-scale, powerful drawings and paintings of Black figures, particularly women.

Her work highlights strength, presence, and self-assertion, challenging historical misrepresentations and invisibility.

By using expressive poses, striking gazes, and intricate details, she ensures that her subjects are seen as bold, confident, and dignified.

Some artists use objects, colours, or abstract forms instead of faces to communicate identity.

Symbols can carry personal, cultural, or political meaning, shaping how identity is expressed.

Ravi Deepres, a British-Indian artist, uses photography and film to explore personal and collective identity.

His work often plays with light, shadow, and movement to create abstract, dreamlike expressions of identity.

Well worth checking out.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following is true about how an artist might express their identity? Is it A, only through painting or drawing? B, a range of ways, including experimental and non-traditional? C, artists do not express their identity through their work? Pause the video while you decide which of these is true about how an artist might express their identity.

Well done if you selected B.

Indeed, identity can be expressed through a range of ways, including experimental and non-traditional.

And now it's time for your first task.

I'd like you to analyse how artists explore and/or express identity in their work.

You could discuss, record, share what choices the artists make in revealing or concealing aspects of themselves or their subjects.

So pause the video here while you have a go at this task.

I'll see you when you're finished.

So, how did you get on with that task of analysing how different artists explore and/or express their identity in their work? So there are many possible outcomes for this, but you might have used a sketchbook to collect images by the artists and annotated your thoughts.

Some great examples here.

You might have had a conversation about the artists you looked at and shared what you learned.

Here's Aisha.

"The artist I was drawn to creates large sound installations that express the different forms of devotional singing they were exposed to in their childhood.

They grew up going to both church and a Hindu temple." So interesting.

And Jacob.

"Some artists I saw used self-portraits to show how they see themselves, like Amrita Sher-Gil, while others used symbols and abstraction, like Bharti Kher and Kehinde Wiley." Well done for having a go at analysing how some different artists explore and express their identity through their work.

And now it's time for the our next part of our lesson, concealing and revealing identity Here's Laura again.

"My identity is made up of different things and is not fixed so how do I select what to explore and express in my work?" Such a good question, Laura.

When creating work that explores and expresses identity, artists make deliberate selections about what to conceal and reveal about themselves or their subjects.

Take a look at this image.

There's no single way to express identity.

Whether through literal or symbolic representation, and whatever the media, every approach tells a different story.

What story do you think this image is telling us about the identity of the artist? Pause the video and tell someone nearby.

Thanks for sharing.

Sharing stories about identity is important because it helps others connect, relate, and feel seen.

You don't need to share the same identity as an artist to understand and appreciate their work.

Art allows us to step into different experiences and perspectives.

Engaging with diverse stories and identities builds empathy, broadens our understanding, and fosters deeper connections between people.

Exploring identity in art involves investigation, questioning, and discovery.

The artist may use their work to research aspects of their own identity or the identities of others, often engaging with themes such as heritage, culture, gender, race, or personal experiences.

This can be an open-ended process, where the artist is figuring out aspects of identity rather than making a definitive statement.

Expressing identity in art is about presenting a clear perspective, emotion, or statement about identity.

The artist communicates something specific about themselves or their community, often with a sense of affirmation or self-representation.

This might be through direct portraiture, symbolism, or visual storytelling.

Pause the video and tell someone nearby what do you think the artist is expressing about identity through this image.

Thanks for sharing.

Mona Hatoum uses sculpture, installation, and video to explore themes of identity, displacement, and belonging.

She often transforms familiar objects into unsettling forms that reflect on the fragility of the body and the impact of political and cultural conflict on personal and collective identity.

I remember seeing Mona Hatoum in a gallery and, yeah, feeling quite unsettled by it, inspired but unsettled.

Powerful work.

Bharti Kher incorporates the bindi, a traditional South Asian symbol, into her sculptural and mixed-media work to question notions of femininity, cultural heritage, and belonging.

Hassan Hajjaj, a British-Moroccan artist, uses photography and mixed media to explore personal and collective identity.

His work often blends North African and Western cultural influences, using vibrant colours, patterns, and portraiture to challenge stereotypes and celebrate hybridity.

Oscar Munoz explores self-perception and memory through ephemeral self-portraits that fade or dissolve, symbolising the fragility of personal and historical narratives.

Amrita Sher-Gil, a pioneering modernist, painted introspective self-portraits that reflected her dual Indian and Hungarian heritage, positioning herself within both European and Indian artistic traditions.

These artists demonstrate that identity is not static and can be shaped by history, migration, gender, and personal experience, offering a powerful lens for self-exploration and expression.

And now it's time for your next task.

First of all, I would like you to fold some paper or card so that there is an inside and an outside.

Use the folds and surfaces to express your identity.

You could consider what the world sees, for example, appearance, personality, and then also deeper layers, for example, emotions, personal history, your truest self or hidden identity.

You could use literal and/or symbolic representation.

So, pause the video here and choose carefully what it is that you want to express, taking good care of yourself and just sharing what feels okay for you to express.

Okay, it's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task? So first of all, you were folding your paper or card so that there was an inside and an outside.

You may have done something like this.

You may have chosen something like these options on the screen.

Folding something like an envelope, like a book, or like a door.

And then, using the folds and surfaces to express what the world sees, your appearance, personality, maybe that was on the outside.

And maybe inside, you were expressing deeper layers, your emotions, your personal history, your truest self, your hidden identity.

There are many possible outcomes, but you might have created something like these examples we can see, images, writing, abstraction.

You may have used a range of colours, faces, telling a story, so many possible outcomes.

I hope you enjoyed this task and maybe even learned something about yourself through this.

In our lesson Curating identity: choosing what to show in art, we have covered the following.

Identity is multifaceted and can change over time.

Artists explore and express identity in their work, and they do not always do this through traditional portraits.

Sharing stories about identity is important because it helps others connect, relate, and feel seen.

You don't need to share the same identity as an artist to understand and appreciate their work.

Artists make selections about what to conceal or reveal in their work.

Well done, everyone, for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore identity, looking at different images, murals, paintings, and see artists were choosing to share or express through their art.

And well done for creating a piece where you were choosing aspects of your identity to reveal, maybe some aspects that were deeper, more hidden.

I hope you found it an interesting activity.

Maybe you learned something about yourself.

Maybe it helped you to get in touch with various aspects of your identity.

I look forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Wishing you well, until then.