True art is undeniable and it is a gift for all humanity. Charles Phillip Brooks Art festival 2021 was an amazing event where students of The VGS came up with beautiful artforms that depict true creativity, style, and innovation. This year’s edition was themed, “Ties That Bind Us” and truly these students showed parents and guests present that art truly is a factor in our society, and the world we find ourselves in, that brings us together.   The event inaugurated at the beginning of October 2021, featured art exhibitions, face painting, auctioning, music, and an art competition between parents. Parents Art Competition During the Art Festival, Parents participated in a competition. Parents who participated in this competition were, Serena Cowan, Theresa Estelle Kotei, and Sarah Boadu. At the end of the competition, Serena Cowan was the winner. She won with a beautiful painting of fruits. Auctioned Art Pieces The festival is an avenue to unearth potential in students, improve upon their self-esteem and confidence, and also raise funds for the SRC. The budding artists have given a brief description of their thought processes and the inspiration behind their stunning artworks. Reflections During the lockdown, I believe most people were faced with new realities and would develop new habits other than the usual. Wine and glasses, once a stranger would become the new normal in many homes. In ‘reflections”, I use the wine glass and water as metaphors to explore human characters. My painting comprises of a yucca plant and foliage which positions a wine glass slightly off the center of the composition and forces the viewers’ attention on the glass of wine as the focal point. The pool of water defines the central and lower part of the painting reflecting off the plant, the wine glass, and other elements. My painting examines humans and the things that make meaning of our existence. The wine glass can allow other elements to reflect themselves, yet, the wine glass as shiny as it is, cannot reflect itself and will need another medium which is the water indicative of the human coexistence. Tiles made of hardboards define the central part of my painting and horizontally divide the painting into two planes. Cutting, arranging, and fixing the tiles exposed me to a new challenge of construction and deconstruction. This process of rearranging to achieve equal alignment informs me that, we the individual sometimes need to lose and realign ourselves with others to complete a task. It’s a reminder that we need to provide grounds for equal opportunities. Interestingly, as hard as I tried, some tiles will not align properly. But the beauty of this nuance coupled with sacrifice and appreciation of others is the truth that binds us as coworkers and architects of our destiny. Using acrylic on canvas together with tactile elements, I employed mixed media techniques of painting symbolic of how people of various cultural backgrounds and personalities live in equilibrium. Selorm Asamoah Strings of Life My painting explores the relationship and intimacy between humans and objects, as well as creating a space for human engagement. The image depicts Ebo Taylor and his guitar. The guitarist is placed asymmetrically to the left. The viewer intuitively enters the painting from the right and immediately confronts the guitar player’s presence, arresting their rapt attention. The rest of the painting remains empty, yet the fluid, subtle blend of umber intensifies the atmosphere and lends a rhythmic background. Furthermore, it adds to the radiant joy of the guitarist.    Despite the rest of the unusual composition, there is no way that viewers can release themselves from the arresting beauty of the boldly and expressively painted face. This vocalizes the bond between Ebo and his guitar. This intimacy heightens how much the guitarist knows his instrument and the fondness between them.  With this work, I am trying to offer my viewers the chance to create new bonds with each other while developing a deeper understanding of existing friendships.      Randa Haffar Allegory of Faith “The Allegory of Faith “is a portrait that explores the ordeal of a young lady as she goes through a moment of isolation and loneliness. The head is tilted upwards to the right and positions her in a conversation as if with the skies above.  The marbled cloth creates rhythmic yet distinctive patterns of colour suggestive of the confused state of the lady. I used turquoise blue, yellow, and red colours as symbols of pain, depression, desolation, and anxiety. However, the vast white background contrasts in meaning and assures the lady of hope, faith, and new beginnings. The look in her eyes expresses her need for hope for a better future. Although her hardship makes it difficult for her to realize her strength, she’s enlightened by her faith in God and is echoed by the cross necklace. It’s a constant reminder that her strength comes from God and that she’s never alone. I use the cross as a symbol of faith which is the tie that binds us and God. Selorm Asamoah Rebirth In my painting a woman stands surrounded by vegetation. She holds the branch of a Monstera Monkey Mask flower in her hands with her back partially facing the viewer, yet she is engaging her viewer to partake in her adventure and find themselves as she has done. The cool combination of shades of green create a sense of serenity and calm that can only be found in the great outdoors. The sun immersed in the background emphasizes the intensity of God’s creations that sparks admiration for His glorious handiwork with its mesmerizing glow. The blazing orange coupled with the peaceful greens and the woman who is clearly in her element, represents the different extremes of God’s creation unified by being His work of art, despite our differences. We can all relate to looking up to the ever-lasting sky in times when we need hope, and discovering while looking at the outside world, the tranquility we yearn for inside ourselves. The woman finds herself reborn with new purpose; defined by her creator. Zhara Wontumi Self Portrait This artwork is a landscape that attempts to explore texture and colour. Texture and colour here metaphorically represent human existence and inclusiveness. Piled-up