As we celebrate the scholastic achievement of the previous year’s Advanced Placement exams, one student in particular achieved a rather remarkable feat. In mid-September, Ms. Qiaorou (Yuki) Ji, currently in Grade 12, received a letter from Mr. Trevor Packer, the Head of the Advanced Placement Program, informing her that she had accomplished what only 197 students in the world had managed to achieve: a perfect score on the AP 2-D Art and Design Exam. 

Yuki began developing her interest in creating art at the age of eight. She credits her parents for exposing her early on to the process of creating artistic compositions by enrolling her in after-school courses where she learned painting and sketching. Yuki looks back from time to time on her portfolio to see how her skills have developed, as well as how her style and tools have changed over the years. 

Senior High School students spend a lot of time reflecting on the areas where their talents meet their interests, and what they may want to pursue in university. Yuki states that her results for Art and Design have “proven to me that I’m doing the right thing. It’s proven that I can do this. I have talent but I still spend a lot of time on my artwork.”

Yuki takes inspiration from a few modern artists. In particular, she states that Yang Yingying’s brand TUYUE is a notable source of ideas for her recent works: “She tries to show Chinese culture and history through clothing design which has given me a lot of inspiration.” 

For Shanghai Fashion Week this year, TUYUE used the The Mogao Caves, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes, as a source of inspiration for the theme of “existence.” Yang’s designs help shed a light on her worldview that civilization is ever changing in its course. Where once a vibrant culture existed in Dunhuang, now is only a memory, but aspects of their society’s imagery live on in today’s contemporary Chinese culture. Similarly, Yuki says that “for my ideas, I also use my own figure mixed with natural scenes to express a message.” For one of her most notable pieces, she took a photo of Shenzhen Bay with the city just over the horizon and combined it with a self-portrait to “show the similarities between the female body and nature. They are both powerful and beautiful. My artwork tries to show the connections.”

“Don’t be afraid to try new things. Do what you want to do. Spend more time observing your surroundings and use different tools, techniques, and technology to create.”

— Qiaorou (Yuki) Ji

Yuki says most of her artworks occur as sudden inspirations. She enjoys taking walks alone in nature to feel the connection with her surroundings. These walks have become a part of Yuki’s process. She also recognises Ms. Lynsey Reeves, the Head of Visual and Performing Arts at AIS, for encouraging her to experiment more with different tools for creation during the AP Art and Design course. Using more items from everyday life to produce compositions opened new pathways for creation as well as a feeling of interconnectedness with her surroundings for Yuki during her time as a student in Ms. Reeve’s AP Art and Design course. 

Art has become more of a reflective practice for Yuki because of her AP Course. She says that the AP curriculum required her to review and reflect on her approach and process to ensure they are aligned with her overall vision. Because of this, Yuki ended up moving away from acrylic paintings to a more digital approach – something that was very new to her. She enjoyed the process of creating her own unique style by layering alterations of digital images until she achieved the desired effect. 

For students who plan on studying art in the future, Yuki says “don’t be afraid to try new things. Do what you want to do.” Citing her own experience, she suggests aspiring artists “spend more time observing their surroundings and using different tools, techniques, and technology to create.” 

After graduation, Yuki currently plans to study at City University of Hong Kong and join their new major of Creative Media. She is interested in this program because it uses new, modern technologies to create art. In the future, she hopes to continue with her passion of being an artist.