Preparation for SOTA/DSA-AEP/EAP Programmes
KCS ART DEPARTMENT
General Questions to Prepare for - DSA
Art Questions to Prepare for - DSA
Introducing yourself
Introducing yourself
I am ______, from Kheng Cheng School.
Tips when introducing yourself
01
03
02
04
Do not say who you are not.
Be authentic
Struggles if any for you to get to where you are
Share personal experiences
Roles and responsibilities in school and your CCA
Values in Art
Values
Nobody can say exactly what you can say. We each develop a language with our artwork that is unique. With practice over time, we improve our ability to communicate with that language.
We have a voice
Much of the art-making process involves building. Waiting. We must develop a certain amount of patience while bringing each piece of artwork from the beginning stages to its finish. (And while waiting for the world to recognize the genius of our latest piece.)
Perserverance
We encounter numerous obstacles in each creative endeavor. We have to make the decision to continue working even when presented with challenges.
Patience
Values
Art sometimes pushes us out of our comfort zone. We might find it scary to show our work in public. Or to experiment with new methods in order to improve our creative abilities.
Courage
As we spend time practicing our art, our appreciation of beauty grows. We discover beauty in places we wouldn’t have considered beautiful before.
Appreciate beauty
As new artists, we might find ourselves to be the opposite of humble with our newfound amazing abilities. But once we begin to recognize just how much we must learn, humility forms. (E.g., a teacher chooses a friend’s work over yours/ you participate in competitions, but others won)
Humility
View the question as one in relation to your own area for improvement. �Remember to explain to your interviewer how you intend to overcome your shortcomings with clear examples.
Tips when sharing your weakness…
E.g. “My biggest weakness is that I sometimes feel reluctant to let go of a project because I am a perfectionist. I tend to be overly critical of my own work. It seems that I'm always able to find something in a project that needs to be changed or improved. To deal with this weakness, I've made it a point to give myself deadlines for work revisions. This ensures that I won't be making changes at the last minute.”
Art Questions
Share about how you personally relate to the theme:
E.g. We were tasked to make an ocean mascot after we explored how pollution can cause harm to the ocean creatures. I saw an artwork by Tan Zi Xi of a large-scale installation of recycled oceanic debris—“Plastic Ocean”. It was a stark reminder that of the negative impact that humans have made to the living condition of the creatures.
I am a lover of the ocean creature, dolphins, ever since I patted one in Sentosa when I was young. Knowing that they are endangered species, I thought of using it as my mascot to allow my viewers to empathize with the dolphin and hence be more aware of not using plastic straws when having beverages…. (you may elaborate)
Hence, I designed a dolphin holding a insulated cup with a metal straw that has the sign “Use reusables”.
Art Questions
Share about how you developed an idea:
E.g. We were tasked to make an ocean mascot after we explored how pollution can cause harm to the ocean creatures. I saw an artwork by Tan Zi Xi of a large-scale installation of recycled oceanic debris—“Plastic Ocean”. It was a stark reminder that of the negative impact that humans have made to the living condition of the creatures.
Knowing that dolphins are endangered species, I thought of using it as my mascot to allow my viewers to empathize with the dolphin. I observed that many young people enjoy drinking bubble tea, or Coconut shakes and wonder how much one-off use plastics we are wasting. I did a simple google and noted that Single-use plastic disposables pose a serious environmental problem around the world. Also, The most common type of waste disposed at incineration plants in Singapore is plastic. Hence, I wanted my viewers to be more aware of not using plastic straws when having beverages. Hence, I designed a dolphin holding a insulated cup with a metal straw that has the sign “Use reusables”.
Art Questions
Share about how you found love for a new art form:
E.g. We were tasked to create a Digital postcard that positively showcases our country, Singapore. We were also expected to make it whimsical just like how Kow Feng (Ah Guo) did in his designs.
Our teacher showed us the basics to the app Procreate and I found that it had many tools we could work with which was highly versatile. As the weeks went by, I grew increasing fond of this new art form and started to find relevant videos to learn more about the medium and app. One of which was the smudge tool, where I learn that I could do smooth blending to create form in my artwork and that got me very excited.
Moving forward, I would love to use the app with an apple pencil, because my teacher shared that it would be more sensitive to pressure and hence more like holding a real brush. That would be very cool!
Be ready for Non-Routine questions
Non-routine questions about the applicant’s reasoning process and the applicant’s ability to think on the spot and handle surprise
SOTA�
DSA
School of the Arts
https://www.sota.edu.sg/curriculum/curriculum
About SOTA
School vision�Creative Citizens for the Future��School mission�Nurturing artistic and creative learners who positively impact Singapore and the world, through a vibrant learning environment that is anchored in the arts
Celebrate experimentation , expression and creativity ��School values (H.I.P.P.)�Humility, Integrity, People-centredness, Passion��Student vision statement�Every SOTA student is a H.I.P. Leader with Passion
About SOTA