At the Chester Fields 2023 Opening Celebration on Saturday, August 12 the winners of The Polygon Gallery’s annual teen photography showcase were announced. Congratulations to the winner Rachael Forrester, and the runners up Tatyanna Wilke and Breanna Hoshizaki. You can view their winning photos and artist statements below. Chester Fields 2023: Unsung is on view now until September 10.

L-R: Chester Fields Curator Jana Ghimire, Chester Fields Jurors Andrea Valentine-Lewis and Karice Mitchell. Photo: Alison Boulier

Three local jurors reviewed all submissions: Karice Mitchell, artist, UBC Lecturer; Gonzalo Reyes Rodriguez, artist and Emily Carr University Assistant Professor of Photography; and Andrea Valentine-Lewis, independent curator and Curatorial Assistant at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Rachael Forrester
John Oliver Secondary School, Vancouver
Searching for Answers

I show the detachment I feel from my cultural identity being raised in the westernized society that is Canada. Growing up, I never had the opportunity to learn about my mother’s side of the family and my Filipina heritage. My parents found it easier to teach me and my siblings English to help us conform to our surroundings. As I’ve gotten older, I feel a longing to connect myself back to the culture and family members I never really knew. But now, it feels like there aren’t any opportunities to do so in the busy life we all lead. In my photo, I choose a classroom setting to depict how I am now trying to learn more about that side of my family and all that comes with it. The pictures of my mother’s life on the board and the photo of me in my hand contrast each other. They show the confusion I often feel when I take a look at myself and realize how much I don’t know.

Tatyanna Wilke
Magee Secondary, Vancouver
Origins Pt. 1, 2

Every human body bears personalized stories of life and growth, each deserving to be represented and celebrated. Although there has been a recent rise in body awareness and diversity in media, it is still unusual to see a body that does not fit the societal “norm” of having a slim, symmetrical figure or blemish-free skin in an editorial magazine; among other marginalized features such as birthmarks, stretch marks or scars. Rather than promoting natural beauty, unreasonable beauty standards have become normalized. In this diptych, I highlight the raw beauty of unique skin texture by superimposing photos from my friends’ and family’s bodies (as well as my own), and finding resemblances in the natural world. There are endless parallels between humans and nature to be explored—a comforting reminder of what we have derived from, the strength and power our bodies hold, and the intricate delicacy of what lies beneath the skin.

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Breanna Hoshizaki
Argyle Secondary, North Vancouver
Daze

Considering this theme, I decided I wanted to come up with a way to visualize the feeling of being overwhelmed in your own thoughts. I believe this is something underrepresented because, although mental health is often talked about, it affects each person very differently. No one will ever truly know how another is impacted, or how they deal with it when they’re alone. Reflecting on this, I chose to use a mirror to reveal how we can recognize this state of mind in ourselves, but perhaps not escape it.

L-R: Chester Fields Jurors Andrea Valentine-Lewis and Karice Mitchell, Chester Fields winner Rachael Forrester. Photo: Alison Boulier

Rachael Forrester’s winning work is on display in Polygon Gallery’s Cates Deck mural space until November.

Chester Fields Winner Rachael Forrester in front of the mural of her winning work. Photo: Alison Boulier

View all of the Chester Fields 2023 finalists here: https://chesterfields.thepolygon.ca

Banner photo: Alison Boulier