38 reasons the winner of ArtRage 2024 is one to watch
Image: QVMAG Arts Foundation Chair Susi Reid, The Friends School arts teacher Hamish Hall, ArtRage medallion winner Severine Cherry and City of Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood.
Today, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery celebrates the awarding of the 2024/25 ArtRage medallion to college student Severine Cherry from The Friends School, Hobart.
In 2020 the QVMAG Arts Foundation developed the ArtRage medallion to acknowledge emerging student artists who significantly contribute to the fine arts in Tasmania.
Each year, one student is chosen by the exhibition curator to be awarded the medallion, featuring a limited-edition artwork, donated by Tasmanian artist Michael McWilliams.
With 2024 marking 30 years of ArtRage at QVMAG, the exhibition continues to provide an important platform for students studying art as part of their Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) in years 11 and 12.
Created with cardboard and glue, Cherry’s winning work includes 38 meticulously hand-crafted and hyper realistic objects hung within the Art Gallery. Completed as part of her Art Studio Practice class at The Friends School, Cherry said her artistic style is vibrant, introspective and deeply focused on exploring identity.
“I am a young artist originally from Melbourne, shaped by my Italian and Yugoslav heritage. Growing up in a creative household with my mother, an artist, I developed a passion for aesthetics, maximalism, and exploring the significance of objects,” she said.
“I use recycled materials to create layered works that delve into the significance of values and memories. These materials become symbols of the people and experiences that shape us, allowing me to explore how memories and cultural influences define our sense of self.
“I’m grateful to be included in ArtRage. It’s a great opportunity to share my work with others and to be part of a community that values creativity. I’m excited to see how my pieces resonate with people and spark conversations about identity, memory, and the meaning we find in the things around us.
“It’s rewarding to have my work seen and appreciated in a space like this.
“My hopes for the future involve continuing to develop a more personal artistic style, regardless of the career path I pursue.
"While I may focus on something outside of art professionally, my passion for creativity will always remain at the core of who I am. Next year, I will start my business degree and hope to explore project management, marketing, and PR, which balance my love for creativity, people, and leadership.”
City of Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood said Cherry’s winning work would make any visitor to the exhibition stop in their tracks.
“ArtRage creates such a valuable platform for student artists across our state,” Mayor Garwood said. “Celebrating 30 years of ArtRage on display in Tasmania is a brilliant achievement for QVMAG. This exhibition continues to provide an important opportunity for young voices to be heard, and that’s something we’re very proud of as a city.
“I’d encourage everyone to make a trip to the Art Gallery at Royal Park and explore this great, and free, exhibition before it wraps up at the end of April."
ArtRage is on display at the Art Gallery at Royal Park (2 Wellington Street, Launceston) until 27 April 2025 with free entry. To see what’s on at QVMAG, visit www.qvmag.tas.gov.au