by Kristen Kucharski
AMAZING TALENT CHOSEN FOR DISPLAY IN THE NATIONAL EXHIBITION IN NEW YORK
WHEATON/GLEN ELLYN–Glenbard West Senior William Hohe recently earned a Gold Medal in Photography for his piece entitled “We’re All Just Children in Adults’ Clothing”; and a Silver Medal with Distinction in Art Portfolio for his portfolio entitled “To All The Friends I’ve Loved” by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
Only 2,000 awards were granted out of the 80,000 students and the 230,000 individual works and portfolios submitted. Due to the prestige of this honor, William now has the opportunity for his work to be displayed in the National Exhibition in New York and the respective traveling tour, as well as the national online gallery and the publication “The Best Teen Art and The Best Teen Writing.”
It will come as no surprise that he plans to pursue a dual degree in Photography (BFA) and Journalism (BA) and hopes to attend Parsons School of Design/The New School in New York City, New York. William’s ultimate goal is to work as both a fine-art photographer, as well as be featured in art galleries and museums, and be published in fashion magazines such as Vogue or Vanity Fair.
William has trained his entire life for this moment writing for the school newspaper, taking Photography 1, Photography 2, AP Studio Art 2D Design, AP Studio Art Drawing, as well as classes at Syracuse University and University of Michigan.
“I became obsessed with taking photos of my close family and surroundings, and soon began doing photoshoots that were highly inspired by some of my favorite artists such as Keith Haring, Cindy Sherman, and David LaChapelle.”
William’s time with art is intensely therapeutic.
“Much of my art is deeply personal and related to the occurrences and people that are in my life,” he shares. “Art is a way that I am able to process my emotions in a healthy, productive way and feel a sense of relief through each piece I complete. Art is therapy for me in that when words fail me, art is my mode of transferring my internal thoughts and feeling onto a canvas, photograph, sculpture, etc.”
He considers himself a mixed media artist and has dabbled in sculpture, a variety of 2D media (oil pastel, colored pen, charcoal, etc.), and is starting to begin working with videography as an extension of his love for photography.
At the core, William is optimistic, focused, and passionate. He gains inspiration from his favorite artist, Keith Haring who’s popular drawings, cartoonish-style, graffiti art origins, and popular themes related to advocacy for the AIDS epidemic, LGBTQIA+ community, and social phenomena of the 80s/early 90s.
William lives by the words of Haring, “Whatever you want to do, the only secret is to believe in it and satisfy yourself. Don’t do it for anyone else.”
William is an exceptionally driven young man with entrepreneurial spirit already owning his own photography business doing senior portraits, wedding/bridal showers, among other types of photographic work; yet he is also a typical teen who loves hanging out with friends, thrifting, and participating in Ecology Club, Student Council, Interact Club, among other community and service activities.
Beyond graduation, he looks forward to creating art that encompasses the year of 2020 – art that addresses political occurrences, social movements such as Black Lives Matter, the Me Too Movement, the youth culture of Gen-Z, and quilting artists like Bisa Butler who are integrating photographs of her black ancestry bringing to light the forgotten narratives of the black community during the 19th and 20th centuries.
“The increased and ongoing striving for inclusivity and diversity within the art community is at the forefront of “trends” and I’m thrilled that black artists and people of color are finally getting their much-deserved recognition.” -Photos Submitted
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