Curating identity: choosing what to show in art
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can analyse and create artwork that explores how artists choose to conceal or reveal aspects of identity.
Key learning points
- 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.
- Artists make selections about what to conceal or reveal in their work.
- You don’t need to share the same identity as an artist to understand and appreciate their work.
Keywords
Identity - 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.
Symbolism - The use of objects, colours, or imagery in art to represent deeper meanings or ideas beyond their literal appearance.
Common misconception
When artists make work about identity, they reveal all aspects of themselves.
Artists make selections about what to conceal or reveal in their work.
Teacher tip
This lesson encourages self-exploration and personal reflection, which may bring up strong thoughts or emotions for some pupils.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does identity mean in art?
Q2.An artist can use art to express their personal experiences and culture.
Q3.What is a self-portrait?
Q4.True or false: All people from the same culture or country have the same identity.
Q5.How can artists express ideas in an abstract ways without using words?
Q6.True or false: Artists always reveal everything about themselves in their artwork.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.True or false: Artists must always show their whole identity in their artwork.
Q2.Match each artist to how they express identity in their work.
Uses everyday objects to explore displacement and identity.
Creates large-scale, powerful portraits of Black women.
Uses photography and film to explore identity through abstract light.
Q3.How can identity change over time?
Q4.Match each statement about identity in art to the correct explanation.
Identity is shaped by experiences, culture, and personal growth.
Helps people connect, relate, and understand different perspectives.
They can reveal or conceal aspects of their identity.
To help you plan your 9 art and design lesson on: Curating identity: choosing what to show in art, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 art and design lesson on: Curating identity: choosing what to show in art, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 art and design lessons from the Personal identity unit, dive into the full secondary art and design curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.