12-year-old Xavier College student Diya Matthews has taken out the top prize in the inaugural R U OK? National Student Art Competition.
Earlier this year, R U OK? invited Year 7 and Year 8 students from schools across Australia to submit a piece into their first ever National Student Art Competition.
Each piece would respond to the prompt, ‘What does an R U OK? conversation mean to you?’, either through painting, drawing, creating a collage, mixed media, or even a digital artwork.
From 16 finalists, five winners were chosen, including Penrith local Diya.
Diya’s work, titled ‘A Conversation Can Change A Life’, aims to showcase elements of genuine care and compassion in which the time is taken to actively listen to another person. According to Diya, this is what prompts positive change.
“I love doing arts and crafts. So, when I got the opportunity, I was really excited to design a poster,” she said.
“I wanted to show how anyone can make a difference by using their words and actions thoughtfully.”
With R U OK? Day held this year on Thursday, September 12, R U OK? CEO Katherine Newton said she was elated to see young people getting involved in the initiative, and embodying its messaging.
“We are thrilled by the calibre of entries we received,” she said.
“It’s incredibly inspiring to see our younger generation embracing the R U OK? message and portraying it in a way that showcases the simple steps people can take to make a difference in someone’s life.”
Diya and the four other winners from Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria, heard from special guests at the presentation, including Pitjantjatjara artist and competition judge Sally Scales.
“Painting has always been a meditation experience for me, a time to destress and relax. It allows us to express our feelings and emotions and to tell stories,” she said.
“The biggest thank you to these incredible students. Your artworks were amazing, and I found it very hard to judge.”
Cassidy Pearce
Cassidy Pearce is a news and entertainment journalist with The Western Weekender. A graduate of the University of Technology Sydney, she has previously worked with Good Morning Macarthur and joined the Weekender in 2022.