Meet the 2019–2020 Socrateens

About

Nine New York City high school students were selected through a competitive application process for the 2019-2020 Socrateens cohort. Learn more about each Socrateen’s art practice below in a series of videos and posts that were originally shared to the Parks Instagram account @socratespark.

Students

Christopher Bisram, Johnaila Cole, Michela Farella, Sohit Gurung, Farzana Ibrahim, Anabella Orellana, Kate Panasci, Aneesa Razak, and Laura Umana

Teacher

Socrates Lead Educator Douglas Paulson

Chris Bisram

 

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This weekend we’re sharing the Socrateens Art Exhibition! Here, Socrateen Chris Bisram (@Cbisram.art) shares a selection of his work and his artist statement can be viewed in our stories. ______ 1. ‘connection of relatives’ – Throughout this exhibition I wanted to depict the connections we have with our relatives. In this piece, the family member I chose was my aunt. . 2. ‘dance video’ – Originally I was going to just have visual arts in this gallery. However my fellow Socrateens thought I should showcase some dancing, so I went along with it. I also did a dance performance during last year’s Socrateens gallery show. I have been dancing for a few years and I am very passionate about it. I hope you enjoy the dance. . 3. ‘coronavirus cityscape’ – I decided to utilize sculpture and one point perspective drawing to create this piece. I wanted to capture the fact that the coronavirus had overtaken the city, almost as if they were looming over us in the clouds. . 4. ‘worded landscape’ – One of my many hobbies is learning languages. I love thinking of languages as the bridge that connects people to each other. Without languages there would be no way of people to communicate and build connections. This is why I believe that languages are not the borders that we sometimes think they are, but that they connect us. This is why I researched how to day bridge, sky, water, and land in all of the languages that google translate has to offer. . 5. ‘insecurities’ – Most people have tons of insecurities when they look in the mirror. I am no exception, whenever I look in the mirror I tend to not like what I see. So I decided to take a look at myself objectively and I did this the only way I knew how, artistically. I looked and, a picture of myself and drew not what I wanted but what was there. I grew to accept the features of my face as what they were, features. It was a great experiment and I hope you enjoy it.

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Johnaila Cole

 

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This weekend we’re sharing the Socrateens Art Exhibition! Here, Socrateen Johnaila Cole (find her on Tumblr at ‘awholecircus’) shares a selection of her work and her artist statement can be viewed in our stories! ______ Ever since I saw my first Disney movie, I wanted to become an artist. I watched every Disney movie I could as well as other animated movies and shows. Cartoons played a huge part in why I wanted to strive to make my art better so that I could make intriguing characters. Especially subverting expectations of viewers – a monster could be so much more than just a monster. I find a type of morbid beauty in things others may find gross or unsightly. Looking mostly at the Thriller movies of the 80s and the movies Tim Burton made for reference, a monstrous character may have characteristics outside of their appearance. When I make art I’m not trying to push to make a statement, my goal is simply to entertain the viewer. . 1. ‘Last Moments’ – Eyes may dilate after demise. . 2. ‘The Anglerfish’ – I wanted to misdirect the viewer with a confrontation with a weird talking cat. Only it turns out to be a monstrous deep sea creature with an ominous tone on what the human character has done. Leaving the interaction in a shade of gray. . 3. ‘Coffee Break’ – My first attempt at thinking of a casual interaction with a monster. Set in a world where monstrous beings are just like any other person. So what’s more normal than some talk over coffee. The point of view is also first person as to allow the character to be anyone. . 4. ‘Sarah’s Hurt’ – An idea born from staying up late nights watching eerie videos, a particular clip stuck with me. As well as inspiration from Lovecraft and Trevor Henderson. . 5. ‘Something Explicit’ – A lip sync test with one explicit phrase. . 6. ‘Angel City’ – A quick clip from The Distillers song City of Angels. I thought I could characterize the song with a character I thought I could see singing the song.

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Michela Farella

 

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This weekend we’re sharing the Socrateens Art Exhibition! Here, Socrateen Michela Farella shares a selection of her work and her artist statement can be viewed in our stories. ______ Bit by bit, through the process, I experiment with the endless possibilities of where my artwork may arrive. I attempt to stay true to my emotions without forcing myself to the end result. . I’m generally inspired by nature and aspiration towards peace. There are times in our life that will seem utterly chaotic but with small breathes, peace can be found just through a closer look. . Many times, we may feel as if we want more than what we are already lucky to have. Simply, observing the slight details of a tree can bring wonders to the imagination. . When you or someone you know is feeling alone, small reminders that love is out there, from friends, family, pets, and self can change everything. . Although setbacks do occur, we must remind ourselves of these fortunes that we are granted with, and to keep moving forward so that peace can once again be found. . Not everything may be what it may seem to be. Although life may be a puzzle, with patience, peace can be found within the blink of an eye. . 1-2. ‘Me, Myself, and I’ – A long capacity needed to reach the center of the petals . 3-7. ‘The Global Issue’

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Sohit Gurung

 

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This weekend we’re sharing the Socrateens Art Exhibition! Here, Socrateen Sohit Gurung shares a selection of his work and his artist statement can be viewed in our stories. ______ Art has always been an unrestricted outlet for me. Whether to use art as a form of expression or to create something beautiful, I’ve always been attracted to the idea of absolute freedom in what you can make. It’s crazy to think that behind each masterpiece, there are multiple different stories and tales to be learned. In my own experiences as an artist, I’ve loved letting art take on its own shape and lifeform. With this series, I was inspired by the madness that is 2020 and I wanted to capture only a smidgen of what 2020 has been like. . 1. ‘(Protest)’ . 2. ‘(U.S.)’ . 3. ‘(Pandemic)’ . 4. ‘(Bunker Boy)’

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Anabella Orellana

 

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This weekend we’re sharing the Socrateens Art Exhibition! Here, Socrateen Anabella Orellana (@helln0wisconsin & @stadium.artcadium) shares a selection of her work and you can view her artist statement is in our stories. ______ Image 1: ‘Deceived By 2020’ . This digital piece reflects a person from two perspectives. It has been upsetting for me that I am unable to graduate the traditional way. I mirrored what we expected 2020 to look like versus what it actually looks like. . Image 2: ‘My Happy Place’ . I demonstrated the process of my painting to show my stages of growth as an artist. The first step displays how I began painting. The second stage shows the canvas completely painted, but unfinished. I assumed I was finished with this painting at this stage. My illustration teacher at Art and Design, Mr. Harrington, pushed me to continue regardless of how long it’d take. After 5 months of painting, I achieved the third stage and created the final artwork. . Image 3: ‘Split Reflections’ . This is an observational piece of two mirrors overlapping while I am seated painting at my easel. I used my own reflection as a photo reference. I didn’t see any clear message at first, but my colleagues at Socrates helped me see the beauty of what I’d created. It personified two split sides of me while in my element. . Image 4: ‘Boolas’ . This was a one day painting I created for fun! My close friend Isabella and I are displayed in a moment in time. The photo reference for this is a candid photograph of us trying on our new scarves in Assisi, Italy (a place we’d both love to visit again.) I created a plain red-orange background because of the bright saturation that would allow us to stand out. The theme is friendship.

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Kate Panasci

 

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This weekend we’re sharing the Socrateens Art Exhibition! Here, Socrateen Kate Panasci (@katterwat) shares a selection of her work and her artist statement can be viewed in our stories. ______ 1. ‘Drifting Away’ – With this piece I took inspiration from not simply nature but my own house and porch! At first I had thought of doing this same scene but with acrylic paint in a momotoned way, but instead decided to to make it full ink, which I had never done in a piece like this, where I put in hours and hours of work. I also hoped to express feelings of loneliness, isolation and a slight hint of fear in this work. . 2. ‘The Campsite’ – This comic was actually the first part of a 3 short scary story comic book and it’s in fact a true story! A terrifying experience me and my friend had while camping, we tell this story all the time at parties and to friends. As our first time camping, this is something we’ll never forget. . 3. ‘The Houses Along the Dirt Road…’ – This is the second part of the comic book, of course also a very true story. Though it might be hard to believe, I did in fact see something, what is was I guess we’ll never know. What I do know however is that it was an extremely scary moment. That I love to share with other people.

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Aneesa Razak

 

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This weekend we’re sharing the Socrateens Art Exhibition! Here, Socrateen Aneesa Razak shares a selection of her work and you can view her full artist statement in our stories. ______ My artwork is a depiction of my experience having two identities, living in two worlds, as a first-generation Guyanese-American woman. This tension and exploration of opposites features heavily in my practice, mirroring my constant deliberation to conceal and communicate. . Image 1: ‘Past Obscurities’ . Image 2. ‘Our side of the House’ . Image 3. ‘Between Two Worlds’ . Image 4. ‘Basement Legs’ . Image 5. ‘Remembrances’

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Laura Umana

 

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This weekend we’re sharing the Socrateens Art Exhibition! Here, Socrateen Laura Umana (@laurasoflyy & @umanaart)shares a selection of her work and her artist statement can be viewed in our stories. ______ HYPNOSIS GUARANTEED: Fall into a rabbit hole and find yourself in a different dimension. Immerse yourself in a combination of childhood scenes, current events, and captivating patterns. This collection is a visual response to the turmoil occurring worldwide at this very moment. Yes, we observe the chaos unfolding through a screen but we have also been given an opportunity to reflect on ourselves and our purpose. This collection is intended to evoke feelings from you. So welcome any feeling–as long as it is distinct from the blur of days that have meshed together in the past four months. You will be hypnotized-in reverse-from the comfort of your own home. I sincerely hope you find what you’re looking for in our session together. . 1-3. ‘How do you feel?’ . 4-6. ‘Are You Hypnotized?’ . 7-9. ‘Step 1: How to Prepare Yourself for Hypnosis’ ______ . . #SocratesSculpturePark #Socrateens #LauraUmana

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