Resource created by LEEDS 2023.
This learning resource is about the work of Dutch artist Afra Eisma, who had her first UK solo exhibition at The Tetley in 2023, as part of LEEDS 2023 Year of Culture.
Curriculum Links
Art - pupils should learn:
- to create sketch books to record their observations and use them to review and revisit ideas
- to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing, painting and sculpture with a range of materials [for example, pencil, charcoal, paint, clay] about great artists, architects and designers in history.
Discussion Ideas
- What are your initial responses to Eisma’s style of art?
- Do you see any influences in Afra Eisma’s work from other artists you know?
- What are the connotations of the colours Eisma uses in her work?
- In splashdown tender, Afra Eisma’s first UK solo show, visitors were encouraged to touch, poke and squeeze the artwork. Is this different from most exhibitions you have been to? What effect do you think this will have had on the visitor experience?
- splashdown tender aimed to create a warm, joyous, inviting experience in response to the isolation and anxiety we all recently experienced in the COVID pandemic. Do you think this comes through in the images you can see?
Activity Ideas
There are nine learning resources produced by Beatrice Lee-Knowles for LEEDS 2023 to support students in learning about Afra’s work and with suggestions of how they can engage with her themes and style.
- Conversation with Afra Eisma
- Otherworldly Being Motif
- Emotion Colour Palette
- Sensory Engagement
- Puppet Theatre Classroom Activity
- Otherworldy Sock Beings Activity
- Afra Eisma Motifs Reference Sheet
- Clay Vessels Classroom Activity
- Garments of Anger Activity
They can all be downloaded from the Resources section.