Ten works not to miss at this year's stunning The West Australian Pulse exhibition

West Australian

02-05-2025

Life and death. Family, faith and grief. Identity, anxiety and exams. Food.
All that and much more is put through the creative lens of 61 young artists from 37 schools starring in The West Australian Pulse
exhibition
, opening at the Art Gallery of WA on May 3.
The 33rd survey of Year 12 visual arts graduates offers priceless insight into what makes young people tick.
There are self-portraits bemoaning the pressures of study, peers and body image alongside artists tackling big picture concerns, ranging from the environment and homelessness to technology and mental health.
Several explore identity, especially ethnicity.
And then there's some lovely tributes to beloved family members, including one artist's late cat.
Beyond the opportunity to explore the inner workings of the Class of 2024, this year's Pulse showcases an incredibly high calibre of technique ranging from detailed figurative paintings to eye-popping multi-media works and even vibrant 'coral reefs' crocheted out of wool, cotton, beads, plastic bags and other textiles.
Once again, anyone venturing into AGWA before the free exhibition ends on August 31 will be richly rewarded, and perhaps buoyed by the enormous potential of this talented generation.
Gallery visitors can meet the artists on May 3 from 2pm-4pm, when the stars of Pulse 2025 share the stories behind their artworks.
Worthy mentions go to Elizabeth McFarlane from Applecross Senior High School for Fleeting, Fleecing, a sharply polemic series of prints on hand-made paper skewering successive Australian leaders' failure to Close the Gap; Wesley College grad Ben Ioannou's heartfelt sculptural exploration of emotional milestones; Iona Presentation College alumnus Charley-Marie Travia's evocative study of a past life in Stored Away; and Corpus Christi's Xavia Variyan for her eye-catching silkscreen creation.
Reproduction in newsprint won't do these pieces justice.
Here are 10 more standout works to give readers a taste of Pulse '25.
ANGEL PAPALAZAROS
Chisholm Catholic College
Hellenic Habitat
A Greek goddess vacuums a suburban living room in Papalazaros' irreverent diptych exploring Greek immigration and cultural identity within Australian society.
The exterior scene is set in the 1970s, blending suburbia with traditional Greek elements – a celebration of the efforts many migrants put into their gardens. Meanwhile, the interior reflects the décor of the era with an ornate table lamp, cane furniture and gaudy colour scheme.
'The male and female figures highlight the traditional gender roles of time, reflecting the fluidity of cultural change inspired by my Greek immigrant grandparents' journey,' Papalazaros explains of a work sure to please any Yiayia visiting AGWA.
BRODIE ROWAND
St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls
Ruby Reverie
Rowand reflects on losing close friend Stella Berry, who was killed by a shark while swimming in the Swan River in 2023.
The striking oil on plywood work features the artist's own red ball dress as a metaphor for her own transition through grief.
'The empty, suspended silhouettes against a turbulent ocean and sky represent the absence of my friend and the feeling of being trapped in time,' explains Rowand, who dedicates this incredible work to Berry.
'Oil paint allowed me to capture the smooth textures and emotions of grief, with the repeated dresses symbolising reflection, lost and the passage of time.'
TYSON BARWOOD
Hale School
Graff ft. me
Barwood sculpted his own Mini-Me out of white paper clay before completing the three-dimensional cartoon figure using acrylic and spray paint plus real zirconium earrings.
'The intention … was to capture a thoughtful, reflective mood, offering me a new way to explore my identity and the world of graffiti,' he says.
While not the most enigmatic of works in this year's Pulse, there's something likeably naïve, cheeky yet honest about this spiky-haired self-portrait.
LOLA BEAGLEY
Swan Christian College
Reflections of Light, Life and Love
In possibly the most sentimental of 2025's crop, Beagley captures the profound sense of gratitude and self-reflection her grandfather experienced in the final years of his life.
'As Pa grew older, he often expressed appreciation for the time he had lived and the days still ahead,' Beagley says.
The subject sits proudly in front of a wall of photographs, each a snapshot of cherished moments. These will project on a wall opposite the painting as visitors join Beagley's beloved Pa in viewing a slideshow of a life well lived.
This is a lovely work. No, you're crying.
MENA TABESHFAR
Shenton College
State Capture
Woodside chief Meg O'Neill shares the canvas with an endangered numbat in this widescreen two-part oil, silkscreen and silicone collage taking aim at the Burrup Hub and other 'destructive' projects.
In her accompanying statement, Tabeshfar says her artwork is an homage to the Disrupt Burrup Hub protested who sprayed the Woodside logo on Frederick McCubbin's iconic painting Down on His Luck at AGWA in 2023.
Have a close lock at State Capture, see how many politicians you can spot amongst the newspaper headlines.
CLAIRE HAYE
Canning Vale College
Vibrant, Vanished
Taking a literally softer approach to environmental issues via textile art, Haye crocheted vibrant coral forms from colourful cotton yarn.
She bleached material to depict the degradation of coral reefs due to man-made pollution.
Vibrant, Vanished was constructed as a rug canvas, one side filled with colourful coral forms and the other with bleached ones. On the bleached side, Haye uses plastic bags to crochet entirely plastic coral forms.
LUCY MCDERMID
Iona Presentation College
Gold Star
McDermid gets a gold star for painting highly realistic foil balloons in this oil on canvas creation representing the pressures of Year 12, which start with 'initial buoyancy and confidence'.
'As time passes, the balloon gradually loses its lustre, mirroring the exhaustion that follows early enthusiasm,' she says.
The final image of a helium tank suggests that buoyancy may return in a playful work inspired by Spanish artist Gemma Gene's hyper-realistic depictions of reflective objects.
ZOE ROBINSON
Methodist Ladies' College
Aldinga
How's this for originality? Robinson painted the rusty bonnet of a 1977 FJ 45 Landcruiser to portray her family history in rural Australia, most notably WA's Gidgegannup and Aldinga in South Australia.
'The bonnet's rust serves as a metaphor for decay and transformation,' she says. 'As the rust grows, the painting alters, creating a living evolving piece that mirrors the changing Australian landscape.'
Robinson used polymer and spray paint, posca pens, coloured charcoal and rust guard to create her modern Aussie masterpiece.
MANAMI TEO
Kalamunda Senior High School
Suisen
Suisen is the Japanese word for daffodil. It's also the name of the Japanese takeaway restaurant in Bassendean owned by Teo's father, who is seen tirelessly toiling over a hot stove in this brilliant work.
'Despite his introverted nature, my dad is generous and hardworking,' Teo says. 'The chaotic kitchen — water running, utensils scattered and multiple dishes being prepared at once — reflects his dedication.'
The painter used linseed oil to create layers and build texture to the flames to give the scene depth to a work inspired by Australian artist Vincent Fantauzzo, best known for his award-winning portraits of Heath Ledger, chef Matt Moran and wife Asher Keddie.
Teo adds: 'I aimed to depict my dad as the heart of our family, captured in his element.'
ZOE DARLING
Guildford Grammar School
Well-read
Let's assume Darling got top marks for English Literature as well as art at Guildford.
Inspired by AGWA's blockbuster RONE exhibition held in the same galleries as Pulse, Well-read combines painting with installation art to explore the relationship between fiction and reality. A face is overlaid with classic literature, including To Kill a Mockingbird, Frankenstein, The Handmaid's Tale and a book from Oscar Wilde, who said: 'Life imitates art'.
'Our lives are mirrored in their pages,' Darling insists. 'The artwork reflects how literature shapes our perceptions, with each book depicted carrying a commentary that deeply influenced me.'
The West Australian Pulse 2025 is at the Art Gallery of WA from May 3 to August 31. The exhibition is free.