AP 2-D ART AND DESIGN
Farah Abdelhak
Eight Phases
Murrah High School, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
Hinds Community College, Raymond, Mississippi, USA
Height: 2”, Width: 5”, Depth: 5" | Idea(s): Like the moon's path, the spinning top symbolizes time's cyclical motion and life's journey.
Material(s): Silver for moons, top body, and handle Silver tube for the body and arms | Process(es): Sawed out moon shapes, soldered onto rings & arms. Soldered 3 silver cups + tube to make handles | Curatorial Note: This work succeeds through its thoughtful balance of craftsmanship and innovation. While it initially presents as a refined and well-constructed object, the realization that it symbolizes the phases of the moon reveals a deeper conceptual layer—elevating the piece from elegant design to poetic function.
STUDENT STATEMENT
How did you bring together different ideas, influences, or inspirations in this artwork?
My artwork combines ideas from mythology, religion, and motion to explore the theme of guidance through darkness. I was inspired by the Greek moon goddess Selene, who visits Earth during her eight phases each month to bring light and direction. Similarly, in Islam, the crescent moon symbolizes God’s guidance, representing how divine light helps people navigate both the night and the larger journey of life. I also drew inspiration from the dreidel, which led me to design my piece as a spinning top, an object that transforms through motion. I wanted to merge this playful, interactive form with the spiritual and symbolic meanings of the moon. Finally, my past experiences in stop-motion and animation classes influenced my approach. In animation, each frame stands alone, but together the frames create seamless and unified motion. I reflected this idea by illustrating all eight moon phases individually at the top. When still, the phases are distinct, but, when spun, they blur into one glowing image, just as separate moments or beliefs can come together to form a harmonious whole.
Which materials and processes did you combine, and how did they work together to strengthen your ideas?
To construct this piece, I combined traditional metalworking techniques such as sawing, soldering, and shaping to bring my concept into form. I sawed each lunar phase out of silver, shaping them into delicate ring-like outlines, and soldered them onto a circular base plate. Two hemispheres were joined to create the top’s handle, while another formed the base of the spinning top. Each moon phase was attached to a slender arm, which I soldered to the body so that they radiate outward like glimmers of light around a central axis. I chose silver for its brightness and reflective quality, symbolizing the moon’s glow as a source of guidance in the dark. Each phase was gently curved to capture a sense of movement and realism, and the smooth, rounded hemispheres at the top and bottom evoke the quiet fullness of the moon itself. Together, the material and form reinforce the theme of illumination—or the way light persists even in darkness—and how distinct moments can merge into one harmonious whole when set in motion.
How did critiques or feedback from your teacher or classmates help you strengthen synthesis in this artwork?
The synthesis of form, material, and symbolism makes this piece more meaningful for viewers by allowing multiple ideas to merge into a single visual experience. I chose to work entirely in silver to evoke the luminous quality of the moon, a brightness that cuts through darkness and reflects guidance. Each curved phase was shaped to resemble the moon’s natural contours, while the smooth, rounded hemispheres at the top and bottom mirror its serene, celestial form. Drawing from both Greek mythology and Islamic symbolism, the moon represents a divine presence that helps guide those who are lost, whether through night or through life itself. By arranging the eight lunar phases on a spinning top, I invite viewers to experience both individuality and unity: When still, each phase stands distinct; when spun, they blur into one glowing whole. This transformation mirrors the way faith, time, and motion intertwine, revealing light and harmony within continual change.
My sustained investigation studies the moral similarities between Greek mythology and Islam.
What do your Selected Works show about your growth as an artist?
My growth as an artist developed through practice, experimentation, and revision as I explored how Greek myths and Islamic symbolism intersect through shared imagery, like fire, light, and the moon, which all represent guidance, transformation, and self-discipline. I worked with bronze, brass, copper, and silver, learning how each material could carry meaning. In Crown of Fire, I used torching to create warmth and texture, while, in Eight Phases, silver captured the moon’s glow and its quiet symbolism of divine light. Over time, each piece became not just a study of technique but also a reflection of my own curiosity and growth. I began by experimenting with sulfur and red beads, drawn to their striking color contrasts. Using sulfur and embossing, I created body-like elements such as eyes, symbols of awareness and perception. When combining a bracelet and ring, I emphasized the red-silver contrast and added texture with leather and imprinted text, learning how materials could speak. As I grew more confident, I expanded to larger forms, shifting from smooth, controlled shapes to jagged, expressive ones. Moving into sculpture, I experimented with wood, gold leaf, and light to explore how illumination can guide emotion. My final piece focused on motion, revealing how form, light, and movement come together, much like my own process of finding harmony through exploration.
What did you learn about yourself as an artist in the process of creating synthesis and curating your Selected Works, and how will you use that learning in the future?
Through creating, synthesizing, and curating my Selected Works, I discovered that inspiration often comes from connection. Whenever I faced an artist’s block, the most meaningful breakthroughs arose from conversation, whether with another artist, a teacher, or a close friend. Talking through ideas helped me find new meaning and transform uncertainty into direction. When I began Self-Control, for example, I was unsure of my intent. After a discussion with a friend about discipline and restraint, I realized what I wanted the piece to represent, and everything began to fall into place. This process taught me that creativity doesn’t exist in isolation; rather, it thrives through dialogue, empathy, and shared experience. Hearing others’ stories allows me to see the world through new lenses and find unexpected inspiration. Beyond art, this understanding applies to life as well: When I feel stuck or unsure, connecting with others helps me regain focus and motivation. Moving forward, I hope to continue creating work that reflects not only my own experiences but also the perspectives of those around me. That human connection, the ability to listen, learn, and translate emotion into form, is what drives me to keep growing as both an artist and an individual.
TEACHER STATEMENT
Jiro Masuda
Upper School Jewelry and Metalsmithing Teacher
Detroit Country Day School
How often did your class meet?
We met two to three times per week. We have a rotating schedule of seven blocks, with four of them meeting each day for 70 minutes. In a two-week span, a block will meet five times for a total of 350 contact minutes.
Is AP Art and Design taught at your school as a separate course, or is it combined with other art classes? Please describe the structure of your AP Art and Design course.
It is combined with other courses. At DCDS, in the visual arts department, a block can contain several different sections. We offer an introductory level in that medium, then advanced, Directed Study, Portfolio Development, Honors Studio Art, and AP Art and Design. A block could have up to six different sections.
How did you guide students in developing and refining their inquiry statements and portfolio direction during their Sustained Investigations?
In my AP Art and Design 3-D courses, I guide students in developing and refining their inquiry statements and portfolio direction by encouraging them to create a narrative that is deeply personal and rooted in their own stories. From the beginning of their Sustained Investigations , we rigorously address three essential questions: What is the inquiry? How will the inquiry be addressed in their work? And why is the inquiry significant to the student or to a larger audience? This structured framework helps students move beyond surface-level ideas to discover themes that are meaningful and authentic to their lives. I emphasize that strong inquiry grows from lived experiences, interests, and identities, which allows their portfolios to develop into cohesive bodies of work with intention and depth. Throughout the process, I provide feedback that challenges students to refine their statements, connect conceptual aims with material choices, and ensure that their work communicates a clear narrative arc. This approach fosters both critical thinking and artistic voice, helping students to not only develop strong portfolios but also to better understand the power of their work in personal and broader contexts.
How did you help students strengthen technical skills and apply design knowledge (elements and principles) while also developing creative problem-solving habits?
In guiding students to strengthen their technical skills and apply design knowledge, I emphasize the balance between craftsmanship, design principles, and creative problem-solving. Because jewelry and metalsmithing are highly technical and demanding, I ensure that students build a strong foundation in the Introduction to Jewelry course, which is centered on fabrication skills. This establishes essential habits of precision, patience, and attention to detail. As students progress to Advanced Jewelry, they add to their metaphorical “toolbox” through processes such as lost-wax casting and computer-aided design (CAD). In Directed Study, students encounter more complex techniques such as stone setting, hydraulic die forming, and linkage mechanisms. Across all levels, I consistently emphasize the importance of both the quality of execution and the thoughtful application of the elements and principles of design. Equally important, I teach students that failure is a natural and valuable part of the learning process. For example, if a ring melts during soldering, students must analyze what went wrong, rethink their approach, and start again. This builds resilience, resourcefulness, and creative problem-solving habits. Through this cycle of skill building, design application, and embracing failure as a means of growth, students emerge as more technically capable, conceptually aware, and adaptable makers.
In what ways did you structure opportunities for practice, experimentation, and revision into your curriculum?
In my jewelry program, I structure opportunities for practice, experimentation, and revision at every level of study. At all six levels of coursework, students begin by researching what has been done before with specific techniques, building an understanding of historical and contemporary approaches. From there, they are challenged to incorporate their own personal narrative into their work, making the process both technical and deeply personal. This mirrors my own artistic practice, and I model this process for students by demonstrating how I move through research, ideation, experimentation, and fabrication. To strengthen their technical fluency, students create practice samples or exploratory pieces that allow them to test processes before applying them to a final work. Throughout, they receive feedback both formally and informally—from myself and from their peers—with the focus on identifying revisions that will strengthen the piece conceptually and technically. In this way, the curriculum supports not only the development of craft but also the cultivation of an iterative creative process rooted in inquiry, experimentation, and refinement.
How did you use critiques and peer interaction to support growth in both Sustained Investigations and preparation for Selected Works?
I used critiques and peer interaction as a central tool for student growth in both Sustained Investigations and preparation for Selected Works. Developing the inquiry statement itself became a critique experience: Students presented their draft inquiry statements to their peers, who then applied the AP rubric for Row A to score the statement. This opened the door for group suggestions, questioning, and collaborative editing, blending critique with a writing workshop. Throughout the school year, students were encouraged to seek peer insight during both ideation and creation, and I often prompted them to share impressions of each other’s works in progress. This consistent practice of giving and receiving feedback not only strengthened their artistic choices but also helped them grow more comfortable with intellectual collaboration—skills that supported refinement of their Sustained Investigations and the presentation of their Selected Works.
In what ways did you integrate digital tools or technology into students’ creative processes?
In my program, students are encouraged to select the digital tools and technologies that best support the imagery and narrative they want to develop in their pieces. The concept of intentionality in process choice is introduced in the Advanced Jewelry course, where students must carve a wax ring that demonstrates 3-D form generation, which cannot be achieved through fabrication alone. This idea is reinforced as they explore casting found objects, where the shift in material transforms the original object's meaning, and when they design their first CAD models to be 3-D printed in wax and cast. Every process—whether manual or digital—carries its own design constraints and opportunities, and students learn to use these intentionally to strengthen their conceptual message. In this way, digital tools such as CAD, 3-D printing, or Photoshop are integrated into the creative process with the same critical consideration as traditional hand processes.
Farah Abdelhak
