Active learning ideas
Identity is a core theme in the JC Art syllabus, especially in a multi-racial and multi-cultural society like Singapore. This topic explores how artists use portraiture and self-representation to construct, perform, or challenge their personal and cultural identities. Students will examine how factors like race, gender, and social class are visually signaled in art, and how contemporary artists are subverting these traditional markers.
Activity 01
Students individually list three things that define their identity. They then discuss with a partner how they would represent those things *without* showing their face. They share their most creative 'symbolic portrait' idea with the class.
Who is public art for, and who decides what gets made?
Activity 02
Display a range of portraits from different eras and cultures. Students use a 'decoder' worksheet to identify the symbols of power, wealth, or cultural belonging in each work, then discuss how these symbols have changed over time.
How does an artwork change when it is placed outside of a gallery?
Activity 03
One student plays an artist who has created a controversial work about identity. Other students play different 'publics' (e.g., a traditional elder, a young activist, a government official) and interview the artist about their intentions and the work's impact.
What makes a piece of public art successful?
Templates
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A few notes on teaching this unit
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
A portrait is just a picture of someone's face.
A portrait is a construction of identity. Active analysis of 'symbolic' portraits (where the person isn't even present) helps students see that identity can be communicated through objects, settings, and even the style of the work.
Identity is fixed and never changes.
Identity is fluid and performative. Comparing an artist's self-portraits from different stages of their life helps students understand that how we represent ourselves is a constant process of negotiation and change.
Methods used in this brief
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