Each year, works by local VCE and VCE VET students in art, visual communication, media arts, fashion, design and technology are exhibited to offer a glimpse into the creative minds shaping tomorrow. This year’s exhibition, New Wave 25, highlights a diverse range of mediums and themes.
Among the exhibitors is Millie Watson Biggar, who completed Year 12 at Balcombe Grammar in 2024. Her work, TSN Dream Realestate: Starting price, Everything You Own, uses sardine tins and crocheted sardines to explore social hierarchy and the housing crisis. It’s a powerful, tactile response to issues facing many young Australians. Millie is believed to be continuing her art studies at university.
Also from Balcombe Grammar, Eligh Rennalls features two thought-provoking works. Clutter, a series of six printed collages, navigates the emotional cycle of creative burnout for his VCE Art-Creative Practice, while Skatepark Eco-Hub, created for Visual Communication Design, reimagines sustainable urban space. Eligh is also pursuing further creative studies.
Ethan Mangopoulos, a 2024 graduate of Woodleigh School, presents My Life, a striking piece selected not only for New Wave 25 but also for the National Gallery of Victoria’s prestigious Top Arts exhibition. His work, chosen as a key publicity image for both shows, reflects deeply personal narratives through bold visual storytelling.
Returning to the exhibition is Arielle Lester, who studied VCE Art-Making and Exhibiting at Western Port Secondary College. Her latest piece, Versus, examines the concept of glorification, an introspective continuation of her developing artistic voice. She is now studying game design at university.
New Wave 25 is more than a student exhibition; it’s a launchpad for future creatives and a celebration of young voices challenging ideas, reshaping aesthetics, and exploring what it means to live and create in the world today.
Entry is free, and everyone’s invited to support and be inspired by the next wave of talent on the Mornington Peninsula.
