I LOVE KUEN CHENG
– Postcard and Bookmark Design Competition

Jointly reported by:
Lam Shao Hen JR1Z(3)
Lee Ai Lin Sr3ScB

     One of the activities held during the Co-curricular Online Carnival was a Postcard and Bookmark Design Competition, jointly organised by the Co-curricular Department, the Art Club and the Cartoons Club with a standard theme: I Love Kuen Cheng. Participants could submit their finished work via Google Form from the 7th to 15th June. The purpose is to encourage our students to express their creativity and love towards the School in the form of art.

The results were announced on the 25th of June as follows:

Postcard Design competition

Junior Year

Champion: Sui Sue Sien 19395

1st runner-up: Hayley Soong Wan Zhen 21339

2nd runner-up: Chong Yu Tong 21635

Excellence Award: Lee Zilin 21892, Grace Soh Yun Xuan 21613, Ooi Qian Qian 19025, Tan Elise 19040, Wong Zhi Xuen 21523

Senior Year

Champion: Summer Liew Yi Qin 18103

1st runner-up: Wong Seon Yan 16377

2nd runner-up: Ng Li Xian 17037

Excellence Award: Yam Zhi Hong 16668, Wong Wen Han 16841

Popularity Award: Tan Le Han 20238

Bookmark Design Competition

Junior Year

Champion: Hong Yii Shean 20870

1st runner-up: Ong Xiao Ru 21687

2nd runner-up: Sui Sue Sien 19395

Excellence Award: Yee Sue Wei 20079, Grace Soh Yun Xuan 21613 (Artwork A), Grace Soh Yun Xuan 21613 (Artwork B), Leong Exin 21942, Tan Elise 19040

Senior Year

Champion: Ng Rui 17039

1st runner-up: Wong Seon Yan 16377

2nd runner-up: Lim Xi Queen 17911

Excellence Award: Wong Seon Yan 16377, Lee Ai Lin 16642, Yam Zhi Hong 16668, Yap Hui Wenn 18250

Popularity Award: Wong Zhi Xuen 21523

https://sites.google.com/a/kuencheng.edu.my/kchs/publicannouncements/page-224

     We are honoured to have given a chance to interview the three judges, they are the Head of the Co-curricular Department, Madam Hee Siaw Fuey, Head of the Art Department, Ms Ong Sook Wan and also Coach of the Art Club, Mr. San Kin Keong.

1. How is the grading standard?

Firstly, we look at the creativity of their designs and how well they express the theme. Then, we pay attention to their techniques and colour choice to pick the winners.

2. What leads to the collaboration of the Art Club and the Cartoons Club?

These two clubs are the two major art groups in our School. They can learn from each other to hold art-related activities, learn to adapt and build team spirit.

3. Comments from the judges

Madam Hee: The junior year students showed more active participation than their Seniors, it could be due to exams or other reasons. I hope that they can take part as well in the future.

Ms Ong Sook Wan: The participation of senior year students is just not enough. Instead, the junior year students’ artwork surprised me. We have discovered great potential in creative arts from this group of students. Keep it up!

Mr. San Kin Keong: I saw various good ideas in the artworks. All participants have great imagination and creativity, of course there is always room for improvement. Junior years’ artworks are more diverse and expressive than the senior years, maybe it is due to the gap in participation. The gap seems to be more obvious than that of the junior students; the situation of no deduction appears in junior students is 28 %, 17% in the senior group, 24% in general. This probably reflects the students’ attitude towards observation and thinking in a set open space.

Interview with the winners

Wong Zhi Xuen (Bookmark Design Popularity Award)

“My design resonates around plum blossoms which represents hope to bring out the Chinese atmosphere. I was inspired when my friend sent me an image of plum blossoms.”

Tan Le Han (Postcard Design Popularity Award winner)

“Dream is the theme I am going for. The quote ‘Dream Big’ does not mean having big dreams, but dream ‘bigly’ and not giving up while chasing the dream.” In a faraway land in space, a cosmonaut aspired to find the brightest star but his seniors and peers poured cold water on the idea. His mother encouraged him to follow his heart and with the help of a blue whale, he finally found his brightest star. This is the story I came up with while designing the postcard.”

Hayley Soong (Junior Postcard Design First Runner-up)

“There was a saying ‘School is our second home.’. My biggest inspiration is from one of Vincent Van Gogh’s well-known paintings ‘The Starry Night’. This painting is praised for its uniqueness and it became a precious work in global art. Thus, I pictured our school to be as unique and precious as ‘The Starry Night’.

Summer Liew Yi Qin (Senior Postcard Design Winner)

“I drew the scenery when I looked back at our school from the pedestrian bridge on my way home. The colour theme is blue as I had mixed feelings of sadness at the time. A little behind the scenes story, I had trouble scanning my artwork as the red frame appears black, so I had to snap a photo with my phone.”

Wong Seon Yan (Senior Postcard Design First Runner-up & Excellence Award, Senior Bookmark Design First Runner-up)

“Our school is full of positivity, which is why I chose blue as the main background colour. I made a popped up window design as we usually stay in. Behind the window I drew our main hall because we used to hold myriads of activities there. Hopefully, we Senior 3 students can experience more fun activities before graduating. I was not familiar with our school’s background before this so I did some research. It took me 3 days and 3 nights to come up with the final sketch. I learnt a lot in the process and would like to give a big thank you to my best friend who inspired and encouraged me.”

Ng Li Xian (Senior Postcard Design Second Runner-up)

“Prefects marching, students playing basketball and volleyball… These are scenes we witness every day during recess until the pandemic. The video-like background design represents the ongoing online classes. The lyrics of the School Anthem are written to remind us of the flag-raising ceremony we used to do every morning. I chose red, yellow and blue for the stamp page which are the colours of our PE shirt. I miss having physical classes. I hope that we can reminisce about the past together and cherish every moment in school from now on.”

Hong Yii Shean (Junior Bookmark Design Winner)

“The many elements of club activities symbolize the various clubs in our School. I chose orange and yellow for the background with the meaning that we kc-ians will shine brightly and continue improving.”

      Congratulations to all winners and a big thank you to everyone involved in organizing the event. It was a meaningful and fun experience to all the participants as well.