From the Visual Arts Coordinator

Celebrating Creative Excellence – Pip Selected for the 2026 SACE Art Show

We are delighted to announce that Philippa Stevanja, one of our 2025 Visual Arts–Design students, has had her Stage 2 work selected for inclusion in the prestigious 2026 SACE Art Show.

The SACE Art Show is a highly respected annual exhibition showcasing some of the most accomplished Stage 2 Visual Art and Design works from across South Australia. This year, just 142 student works have been selected statewide, making Pip’s inclusion a significant and well-earned achievement.

Pip’s selected work centres on an original fantasy-adventure game concept titled Calamitus, inspired by popular video games, gaming franchises, and conventions such as AVcon. Designed to appeal to gamers aged 13–25, the game presents a world corrupted by a destructive god, with its title derived from the Latin word calamitosus, meaning destructive and ruinous. This name immediately communicates the narrative tone and identity of the game.

As part of her brief, Pip designed four original characters representing opposing elements of nature — water, fire, ice, and air — supported by a cohesive range of merchandise including posters, trading cards, stickers, animations, and 3D-printed keyrings. Her work demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of character design, branding, and marketability, particularly in relation to gaming culture.

Each character was carefully developed with symbolic names, dynamic silhouettes, and purposeful colour palettes. From Lyra, whose flowing form and coastal colours reflect her water element, to Agni, a fire-based draconic character inspired by mythological symbolism, Pip’s designs thoughtfully combine lore, personality, and visual storytelling. Neve, representing ice, conveys authority through sharp forms and a restrained colour palette, while Zeph, inspired by Greek mythology and the west wind, embodies symmetry and nature through fae-like features and balanced design.

Pip’s work was influenced by industry professionals such as Jen Zee and Ignio Straffi, whose use of mythology, bold colour, and strong silhouettes informed her visual style. Throughout the process, Pip also demonstrated resilience and adaptability, overcoming technical challenges related to new Adobe software and export quality, gaining valuable industry-relevant skills in the process.

In addition to her academic success, Pip was also one of SAC’s two Visual Art Leaders in 2025, contributing positively to the Visual Arts community through leadership, collaboration, and dedication.

The 2026 SACE Art Show will be held at the Light Square Gallery, located within the Adelaide College of the Arts, at 39 Light Square, and will run from 17 March to 10 April. We encourage members of our community to visit the exhibition and celebrate the exceptional creativity of South Australian students.

We are immensely proud of Pip’s hard work, artistic vision, and leadership, and congratulate her on this outstanding achievement.

Ms Michelle Barratt
Visual Arts Coordinator

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Year 9 Art & Design Explore Fragrance Houses to Inspire Ceramic Perfume Bottle Creations

Throughout February many of the Yr 9 Art and Design classes visited the fragrance departments of various department stores in the city gathering visual research about product design. They will use this visit, where they were able to explore the form and function of the vessels, to inform their own ceramic perfume bottle designs. The students enjoyed learning about the history of iconic brands such as Channel and Dior from the knowledgeable fragrance assistants. We can’t wait to see the original designs they develop from this experience. 

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