Visual Arts 2025 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• make curatorial decisions about the overall cohesion of the body of work to communicate a sustained intention
• develop conceptual coherence that demonstrates an understanding of arts practice in relation to the chosen expressive form
• consult the Stage 6 Syllabus documents, Additional Advice, and Assessment and Reporting in Visual Arts Stage 6 for guidelines on size, prohibited materials, and duration limitations for a body of work.

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate cohesion in a body of work by synthesising conceptual and material practices
• curate body of work with sensitivity and, discrimination, understanding the importance of selection and refinement within the submission to enhance meaning and intention
• enhance their technical knowledge and skills by employing materials, equipment and techniques appropriate for each expressive form to ensure a clear and consistent representation of subject matter.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing a concept beyond an obvious interpretation or representation of subject matter.

Students should:

• have an informed understanding of contemporary ceramic practice and the potential for clay to represent a concept
• show an understanding of a variety of ceramic techniques, clay bodies and surface treatments
• make informed curatorial decisions to reduce repetitive elements.

Trends include:

• a variety of ceramic techniques, including pinch, coil, slab, slip casting, wheel thrown
• a wide variety of surface treatments, including underglaze, stains, oxides, lustre, magma, tissue transfers, pencil and graphite
• multiple pieces and large vessels included in the submissions.

In better body of work Ceramics, students were able to:

• employ curatorial strategies in the display and arrangement of the work that supports the conceptual intention
• engage and manipulate clay bodies and apply a wide range of surface treatments to enhance the concept
• consider the audience in the display and curation of the artworks.

Areas for students to improve include:

• considering how each object in the submission reiterates and extends the concept
• ensuring the surface treatments and decorative features are sympathetic to the overall ceramic form
• considering how layered titles may extend conceptual intent, rather than providing lengthy artist statements.

Students should

• demonstrate a cohesive investigation into how works, in multiple forms, interrelate and reiterate concepts
• use knowledge of traditional and contemporary practices to inform their approach
• apply understanding of how refined curation can best reflect their intentions.

Trends include:

• exploration of the ‘self’, relationships, environmental issues, cultural heritage and contemporary world events
• material practice, including multiple items of painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, time-based forms, ceramics and sculpture
• a range of material practices, including traditional approaches, found objects and digital media
• a range of works and multiple expressive forms linked conceptually.

In better body of work Collection of Works, students were able to:

• investigate and resolve material techniques in a range of expressive forms
• layer both conceptual and material choices intentionally to build multiple meanings within the body of work
• demonstrate expertise and skills in highly accomplished and innovative ways
• curate a sustained submission insightfully across different forms
• communicate an in-depth awareness of art world conventions and approaches.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing refined skills across a range of expressive forms within the submission
• making discerning curatorial choices
• considering how each item serves to communicate and reiterate a cohesive idea
• selecting a title to invite in-depth conceptual engagement
• considering the need for an artist’s statement, as it may affect the interpretation of the body of work.

Students should:

• extend design practice beyond duplication, simplification, and model making, demonstrating technical sensitivity in material selection and construction methods that support and reinforce a conceptual intent
• avoid overly complex setup or curatorial instructions that do not enhance the conceptual intent
• consider how art and design references function as an integral conceptual feature that generates layered meaning within the submission.

Trends include:

• an interest in merging analogue and digital processes, including the integration of photographic transfers, laser-cut elements or generative AI in the design stage
• experimentation with sound or light, redefining how designed objects can be viewed, activated or experienced
• exploration of sustainable design strategies by reusing found materials and applying eco-conscious fabrication techniques, emphasising the relationship between functional design and environmental responsibility. 

In better body of work Designed Objects, students were able to:

• integrate multiple technologies successfully to create inventive and engaging design objects, including sound, audiovisual components, printmaking, laser printing, 3D printing and photography
• integrate materials seamlessly with minimal evidence of joins, supporting structures or mechanical elements
• use traditional materials inventively to create designed objects that reflect contemporary practice, for example, clay, silicon, cardboard, hide, timber and wire.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing considered titles that communicate conceptual intentions rather than relying on a statement to communicate artistic intentions
• refining designed objects to a more convincing and resolved visual and tactile level
• investigating practices informed by both traditional and contemporary designers to extend conceptual intent and creative direction.

Students should:

• demonstrate extensive conceptual investigation and consider the many and varied ways Documented Forms can be interpreted
• apply their understanding of how items are presented, reflecting on investigations of installations, performances or documented forms
• display an investigation into how objects and images encapsulate performance-based and site-specific approaches.

Trends include:

• exploration of imagined worlds, subjective experiences, environmental issues and commentaries on societal issues
• material practice that includes documentation through photography, time-based forms, sculptural artefacts and books
• exploration of installation, site-specific and performance-based approaches
• material practices that encompass use of found objects, sculptural forms, digital media
• multiple items and expressive forms linked conceptually.

In better body of work Documented Forms, students were able to:

• present items and expressive forms that were conceptually layered and insightfully reflective of the artworld
• curate a range of items and forms that were conceptually cohesive to build multiple meanings
• show an in-depth understanding of conventions and approaches
• include considered display instructions, indicating an awareness of curatorial practice
• demonstrate a sophisticated awareness of audience engagement and response.

Areas for students to improve include:

• selecting each item submitted carefully to reflect discerning curatorial choices
• considering how time-based elements reflect careful story boarding and connect to other items submitted
• developing refined skills across the different expressive forms presented. 

Students should:

• submit a body of work that reflects a sustained engagement and exploration of mark making
• ensure that conceptual intent and stylistic approaches are complemented by a careful selection of materials and surfaces
• demonstrate an awareness of the artworld and artists.

Trends include:

• a range of subject matter, for example, portraiture, animals, still life and images from classical antiquity
• approaches to traditional and contemporary drawing practices, including hyper-realistic, photo-realistic, illustration and the use of digital drawing devices
• the use of graphite, charcoal, coloured pencil, biro and felt-tip markers to explore a variety of mark making techniques, including blending, cross hatching and stippling.

In better body of work Drawing, students were able to:

• show a sophisticated understanding of mark making
• demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of conventions such as hyper-realistic, illustrative and expressive approaches
• present a range of viewpoints when composing and cropping artworks.

Areas for students to improve included:

• showing refinement in the development of drawing skills
• demonstrating an awareness of specific drawing conventions and mark making techniques
• demonstrating understanding of the importance of selection and curation.

Students should:

• consider the scale, including image resolution, when upscaling raster images
• evaluate the creative use of text, its placement, size, font and shape.

Trends include:

• computer-generated imagery with tablet-drawn graphics using software programs
• hand-drawn body of works using pen, colour pencil, Posca and Copic markers, across a diverse selection of paper stock
• manga and anime to represent real and imagined narratives, aspects of the student’s world, a day in the life, loss, mythology, fantasy worlds, feminism, relationships, cultural connections and dualities.

In better body of work Graphic Design, students were able to:

• demonstrate confident choices when using sophisticated colour palettes, tonal modulation, typography and consider paper stocks and Graphic Design conventions
• innovate a strong graphic presence within a selected genre through compositional devices and graphic principles
• establish concepts/storylines in graphic narratives through expressive tablet-drawn graphics within the conventions of a genre.

Areas for students to improve:

• making curatorial decisions with consistency, ensuring aesthetic and material cohesion
• demonstrating understanding of graphic poster genres, conventions, histories and the hierarchy of typography. 

Students should:

• use painting techniques and stylistic conventions that are synthesised, communicating and highlighting intention
• explore and employ compositional devices to enhance the expressive qualities of the work, for example, consideration of surface, expressive mark-making, scumbling, dry brush, drips, sgraffito and/or glazing
• demonstrate an informed understanding of display, cohesion and audience engagement through curatorial decisions to ensure the presentation of the body of work clearly communicates the conceptual intent.

Trends include:

• multi-panel submissions in the genre of realism
• investigations focused on personal experience, evoking a sense of place or psychological state
• cultural references, including food, dress, customs and celebrations.

In stronger body of work Painting, students were able to:

• demonstrate a high level of technical proficiency and conceptual resolution in their painting practice
• articulate sophisticated understanding of the concept or subject explored through compositional and material choices
• present a cohesive and well-curated submission, where each component contributes meaningfully to the overarching concept.

Areas for students to improve include:

• refining skills and techniques in painting practice
• using appropriate conventions to articulate the concepts being explored
• selecting and curating the body of work to best support the conceptual intent.

Students should:

• apply their understanding of traditional, modern and contemporary photographic styles and conventions to synthesise conceptual and material practice
• demonstrate technical proficiency in camera craft, image resolution and post-production techniques
• use discernment in a choice of paper stock that reinforces the conceptual intent of the body of work. 

Trends include:

• increased knowledge and understanding of how contemporary photographic practices can be explored through a variety of analogue and digital works
• thematic investigations using low light, street and reportage photography, exploring themes of isolation and loneliness, relationships, architecture, portraiture, grandparents, night photography, cyanotypes, vanitas
• multiple panels and scrolls using a variety of photographic papers, including fine art matte and metallic papers.

In better body of work Photomedia, students were able to:

• move from direct observations into more innovative and transformative approaches
• select and execute post-production techniques to enhance and refine the technical aspects of the submission
• edit the selection of images to refine the body of work and make informed curatorial choices.

Areas for students to improve include:

• making an informed choice of ISO, white balance, aperture and focus, particularly when working in low light and in the studio
• acknowledging and annotating AI components in photographic work submissions thoroughly in the Visual Arts Process Diary, including screen shots of the process and prompts.

Students should: 

• construct and manipulate original compositions, demonstrating an intentional manipulation of design elements appropriate for printmaking conventions
• show technical proficiency and refinement in scribing etching plates or carving relief blocks, achieved either manually, by hand, with power tools, or through digital technologies
• select and apply devices, for example, compositional formats, scale, and curatorial decisions, to inform and elaborate the reading of the work. 

Trends include:

• representations of place and personal experience, with recurring themes of property ownership, rural retreats, and subject matter including regional, suburban and oceanic landscapes
• the hybridisation of print and painting practices through the incorporation of monoprint processes to stain paper stock or as part of a multiple plate processes to produce rich surface qualities
• the use of framing devices such as windows and doors to construct imagery that merges interior and exterior perspectives, inviting audience interaction and showing spatial awareness.

In better body of work Printmaking, students were able to: 

• engage a range of analogue, digital or generative AI technologies to prepare original compositions, modulating appropriate graphic conventions prior to carving or scribing the plate
• explore the conventions of unique state printing, including those that required multiple passes through the press, to demonstrate knowledge of diverse approaches to printmaking practice
• synthesise conceptual intent with curatorial choices, for example, the use of the window or door as a framing device through which to composite imagery, showing a sophisticated relationship between image, process, and meaning, and offering an interactive element to engage the audience.

Areas for students to improve include: 

• considering ways to employ repetition purposefully, acknowledging printmaking’s capacity to generate multiples to extend meaning and engagement rather than merely increase volume
• printing with coloured inks or on coloured grounds that are sympathetic to the representation of subject matter and that extend the conceptual intent of the submission
• acknowledging and documenting the use of generative AI technologies, compositions appropriated from other sources, prompt histories and/or image references in the Visual Arts Process Diary.

Students should:

• investigate the conventions and innovations of sculpture to make informed decisions about artmaking practice
• consider the transformative qualities of materials to create nuanced layers of meaning
• demonstrate knowledge of sculptural practice through multi-layered references to artists and historical movements.

Trends include:

• heavily decorated and embellished surfaces using collage, painted surfaces and found objects
• repeated techniques across multiple sculptural forms
• issues and themes connected to family, heritage, animals, the human body, identity, the built and natural environments. 

In better body of work Sculpture, students were able to:

• demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of artworld agencies in an informed manner
• present a considered investigation of spatial relationships, sculptural processes and techniques
• show restraint and sensitivity when exploring sculptural materials, forms and conventions.

Areas for students to improve include:

• creating works that engage the audience
• applying surface treatments and collaged elements with sensitivity to enhance the sculptural form.

Students should:

• consider how materials, techniques and surface treatments can strengthen conceptual intent
• extend textiles and fibre submissions beyond decorative or craft-based approaches to develop resolved conceptual artworks that communicate meaning.

Trends include:

• investigation of handcrafted textile processes, for example, dry felting, cross-stitch, embroidery and knitting, with traditional craft methods reinterpreted to explore ideas about identity, cultural heritage and storytelling
• merging of wearable art and sculptural fibre practice that blurs boundaries between functional design, fashion and costume, and sculptural fibre practices
• exploration of ecological themes and sustainability, including the use of recycled materials, natural dyes and mending or repair techniques used symbolically as metaphors for fragility, endurance and the interconnectedness of living systems.

In better body of work Textiles and Fibre, students were able to:

• integrate joins, armatures, attachments and adhesives discreetly and seamlessly into the structure of the work, supporting visual unity
• transform materials beyond their natural state through layering, stiffening, folding, weaving and the manipulation of transparency and light
• demonstrate technical control, strong craftsmanship and refined finishing, and an understanding of material behaviour, resulting in cohesive and structurally sound works.

Areas for students to improve include:

• experimenting with scale, repetition and installation strategies to activate textile works spatially
• researching and referencing the practices of contemporary textiles and fibre artists that extend technical knowledge and strengthen creative directions
• considering the inclusion of embellishments, photography and found objects with restraint, ensuring these elements are integrated, rather than just decorative additions. 

Students should:

• show extensive knowledge of filmmaking conventions and cinematic techniques that synthesise the use of arts practice and conceptual intent
• demonstrate understanding of technical proficiency in camera craft, camera movement, sound and editing.

Trends include:

• a variety of animations using digital graphics, constructed environments in vector and 3D software programs exploring complex and compelling narratives, parallel, linear and non-linear narratives that provide conceptual complexity
• themes exploring emotional states, grief and loss, family heritage, nostalgic reflections of childhood, cultural and personal identity, time, conventions of past filmmaking such as silent films
• multi-layered soundtracks, sound effects, diegetic and non-diegetic soundscapes used to enhance visual imagery and pace.

In better body of work Time-based Forms, students were able to:

• develop pre-production plans and scripts to optimise conceptual and technical cohesion of the submission
• demonstrate synchronicity of sound, images and continuity editing
• apply effective post-production techniques to maintain continuity of image and soundscape.

Areas for students to improve include:

• considering the application of camera craft with manual focus, selective aperture, differentiated shot types, camera angles and movement applied when using DSLR and mirrorless cameras
• exploring a range of filmmakers and techniques and identifying their approaches to inform material and conceptual practice
• applying effective approaches to editing to confidently communicate concept(s)
• acknowledging the use of software programs, sourced imagery, assets and AI in credits.

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure important components of the question are not missed
• have a clear understanding of key words and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• engage with any source material provided and refer to it in the response
• develop a plan for an extended response to assist with the logical sequencing of information
• use relevant concepts and terminology to support the response
• develop a cohesive and sustained argument in response to the question, reflecting extensive knowledge of artists, artworks, critics and historians’ views, and the syllabus, as applicable
• present a logical and cohesive response addressing the question
• integrate diverse examples across time and place to demonstrate depth and breadth of understanding
• review the response to ensure it addresses the question requirements. 

Question 1

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of practice through a sustained interpretation of qualities of the painting
• present an informed point of view and examine characteristics of the painting to make connections to concepts, for example, the joy of dancing, social engagement or the cycle of life
• describe aspects of the artist’s practice with reference to subject matter, composition, colour scheme, lighting, painting techniques and/or style.

Areas for students to improve include:

• describing features of practice in depth using specific art language, rather than observations of the figures and the setting
• connecting the ideas and the communicated feelings to features of the painting
• describing structural and cultural qualities of the painting to expand the response, for example, cultural heritage, traditions and/or identity.

Question 2

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a comprehensive analysis of the similar qualities of both artworks to create a layered and interconnected response
• examine how each artist represents the urban environment through compositional devices, for example, leading lines, aerial viewpoints and the inclusion of figures
• interpret the meaning of each photograph and link this to the photographs, for example, through references to streetscapes, urbanisation, Modernism.

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing the response from a description of features of the photographs to an analysis of both plates and identifying suggested meanings, for example, ideas of journeys, the everyday, transitional spaces, connection and isolation, atmosphere and/or mood
• analysing works using compositional terms and an art vocabulary, for example, the rule of thirds, focal point, contrast and lighting, the decisive moment in photography
• providing specific detail, rather than generalising and reliance on describing the source material.

Question 3

In better responses, students were able to:

• support an analysis of how artworks have agency with audiences and global contexts and issues, for example, sustainability and the importance of preservation
• explain how artists use materials, site and architectural structures to engage audiences to address contemporary issues in today’s world
• analyse all source material through the conceptual and physical experience for audiences.

Areas for students to improve include: 

• analysing how the relationship between artwork, audience and world is established, represented and evidenced in each plate
• differentiating between visual arts terms and drawing on the relationships and agency that exists between the audience and the world
• making links between aspects of the artwork and audiences while also addressing global and local contexts in the world.

Question 4

In better responses, students were able to: 

• address the quote with a clear and coherent discussion, incorporating Patricia Piccinini’s statement throughout the response and demonstrating well-structured, complex reasoning
• select relevant contemporary and/or historical artworks that demonstrate conceptually driven art practices, supporting discussion with relevant contextual and material analysis
• present ideas by explaining how conceptual intent informs artistic practice, using precise and meaningful language.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing the statement directly by focusing on ideas through clear and substantiated points of view rather than surface level description or unrelated historical facts
• selecting appropriate examples that support their argument, ensuring each artwork is discussed in depth with relevant contextual and material analysis and clear links to meaning
• using appropriate language to discuss how ideas inform practice, avoiding simple listing or description by giving specific evidence, rather than generalisations.

Question 5

In better responses, students were able to:

• address all aspects of the question, making connections between the artists’ intentions for artworks as well as the evolution of their practice over time
• make references to events, philosophies or other artists concurrent to the work of the focus artists, reinforce explanations and add depth and complexity to arguments
• explain the evolution of practice over time and discuss how this evolution of practice intersects with the artists’ evolving intentions, such areas as conventions, movements, periods, arts practice and materials.

Areas for students to improve include:

• explaining artworks while making connections to the question and moving beyond describing the artworks or material methods
• demonstrating knowledge of the shaping of artists’ intentions through an informed discussion of examples and practice over time
• choosing fewer examples and explaining from all aspects of the question in depth and complexity, rather than briefly characterising several examples.

Question 6

In the better responses, students were able to:

• discuss the growth of an idea culturally and/or historically with the focus on artist and artwork agencies, revealing past innovations or contemporary reinterpretations
• demonstrate historical understanding and relevance providing interconnectedness in the response, creating a coherent and compelling discussion
• articulate a clear understanding of the evolution of ideas, recognising that artworks may emerge either in reaction to ideas or the further development of them and acknowledge that ‘ideas’ may refer to artistic conventions and to social or cultural beliefs.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating evidence of their case study knowledge throughout the response with the focus on a number of artworks
• linking evidence back to the statement and going beyond the obvious, more analytical connections, rather than providing descriptive commentary
• strengthening the alignment between the discussion and the question, and moving beyond restating the quote and reproducing memorised content.

Question 7

In the better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate understanding about the roles of audiences and how they enhance the meaning of artworks
• demonstrate understanding of the conceptual framework with reference to audiences’ immersive, participatory or interactive engagement with artworks, for example, how audience intellectual, physical or emotional engagement, deepens or intensifies the conceptual ideas within artworks
• acknowledge multiple audience perspectives and contexts, demonstrating how different historical, cultural, and contemporary viewpoints shape interpretation, and how active audience participation contributes to the conceptual layering of artworks.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing all aspects of the question, particularly considering how audiences can exercise agency rather than only reacting or responding to artworks
• selecting appropriate examples that provide scope for explaining the role audiences play in enhancing the meaning of artworks
• providing a sustained argument by linking explanations back to the question and avoiding general or descriptive statements.

Question 8

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a comprehensive and relevant discussion that states a position in response to the statement about the object of art and its ability to produce a more intense reality
• provide an argument that demonstrates a clear understanding about how the choice of materials, concepts and audience engagement provide an intense reality
• demonstrate analysis, supported through understanding of how the artworks are informed by the artists’ experience, including their personal, psychological, political or spiritual contexts.

Areas for students to improve include:

• selecting examples that support the quote and using differentiated art language to explain the artworks from the position of the statement and the created reality
• establishing links between artists studied and the question, to provide an integrated discussion of the artists’ choices, materials styles and conventions
• providing clear and direct arguments that consider the ways in which artists can transform reality into artworks.

Question 9

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate understanding of the frames, analysing how artists use materials, techniques and imagery to communicate meaning
• demonstrate understanding of how artists use visual language to construct and convey meaning
• elaborate on how artists communicate intentions, ideas, and meanings to audiences through symbolism, conventions, and genres at a certain time or over time.

Areas for students to improve include:

• addressing all aspects of the question to provide context on how artists communicate meaning in artworks
• selecting relevant case study examples that articulate the relationship between an artwork’s visual language and its meaning
• providing a sustained argument by linking the analysis of examples to the question, and avoiding general or descriptive statements.