IB Visual Art

This dynamic course offers an exciting opportunity for students who are passionate about art to cultivate their aesthetic, imaginative, and expressive abilities through hands-on art-making and critical thinking. Through a process of inquiry, investigation, reflection, and creative application, students develop a deep appreciation for the rich diversity of visual expression in the world around them. They become critically informed creators and consumers of visual culture, equipped with the skills to interpret, challenge, and contribute meaningfully to the visual arts landscape. Inquiry Questions drive the course allowing students to develop a rich, varied and highly independent portfolio of work. Students are required to explore multiple art forms, which can include painting, drawing, textiles, printmaking, ceramics and photography.  

Assessed components: Art-making Inquiries Portfolio, Connections Study (SL) / Artist Project (HL) and the Exhibition.  

• The Art-making Inquiries Portfolio (40% SL, 36% HL) is presented as a digital sketchbook evidencing experimentation, technical exploration and conceptual development centred on emerging themes developed by the student.  
• The Connections Study (20% SL only) is a theoretical body of research analysing and evaluating the student’s own work to the work of established artists and cultural contexts.  
• The Artist Project (24% HL only) is an exciting opportunity for students to connect to their own environment and culture, whilst engaging with an external audience through a site-specific outcome. Curatorial thinking and exposure to public sculpture forms part of this project.  
• The Exhibition (40% SL and HL) is a curated collection of resolved outcomes generated through the course which link conceptually and/or formally.  

Prerequisite: GCSE, or equivalent is recommended. Students without formal qualifications are welcome to opt in. However, those who have previously studied Art often find themselves more confident with materials, techniques, and the sustained demands of coursework. Students without prior Art experience can still thrive: they often bring fresh perspectives from other disciplines, make strong interdisciplinary connections, and excel in the research and critical thinking elements of the course such as the Comparative Study and Process Portfolio. In essence, motivation, curiosity, and a willingness to experiment are more important than prior experience  though a background in Art can make the transition smoother.