Welcome to Sevenoaks School’s
IB Art Exhibition 2020
I am delighted to have been asked to introduce this year’s IB exhibition. The Oxo
Bargehouse has long proven itself a striking environment in which the Upper Sixth
students of Sevenoaks can share their ambitious and creative practices with family, friends
and a wider London audience. Each year I have thoroughly enjoyed weaving through
the dilapidated rooms of dusty brick and flaking plaster to discover many an artistic gem.
This year will be no exception.
I worked for Sevenoaks School from 2013 to 2015 in a residency role that afforded me
teaching experience alongside time to work on my own practice, whilst also contributing to
the broader life of the school. There are too many fond memories to list now but highlights
included helping on the Year 8 trip to Normandy and painting scenery for the school’s
production of Les Misérables; a venture that springboarded me into an apprenticeship with
The Royal Opera House, where I now work full time as one of their Scenic Artists.
Part of my residency also involved running the Lower School art club. It was held after
school and on a Monday, yet the energy and enthusiasm brought by each student to these
sessions was a joy to observe. It is perhaps not a surprise but nonetheless a delight to see
that almost all those preparing to exhibit in this year’s IB show were attendees of that club.
Back then those students were driven by a pure desire to make – not because someone told
them to, but because they chose to; making for the simple enjoyment of being creative. It is
no doubt the Art department’s superb fostering of this playful spirit that is fuelling the
works we see here today.
Displaying artworks can be rewarding but also to an extent, daunting. For me it is a feeling
that hovers somewhere between apprehension and relief. However, a good friend once
described it as a celebration of creativity for you and those closest to you. After all, do
you value a stranger’s opinion over a friend’s? So amidst all the noise and all the times you
might have to explain your artistic process to someone you’ve never met, remember
to take a moment for pride and celebration of all you have achieved.
I hope the artworks displayed here are not the last we see from these young creatives,
and that you can join me in congratulating them for all their hard work.
Michael O’Reilly
Artist in Residence, Sevenoaks School 2013-2015
Scenic painting, Royal Opera House