Key Points
- Jasmine did not have any formal art training apart from her school subjects
- It took her 10-15 hours to complete "And who shaped you?"
- Jasmine hopes continue using art as a meduim for supporting families that have neurodivergent siblings or children
"I’ve always seen it around, opportunities for young people like me (under 18s) in the art world. I’ve also seen young artists advocate for a message and I always wanted to do that.
It took some time to decide to join the Archibald Prize and who she’ll draw until one day she said, " Okay, I’ll just draw a picture of my brother. My younger brother Kevin was diagnosed with autism when he was a toddler."
"Growing up with him is a lot different to those with siblings who are not neurodivergent," says the 16-year-old Ballarat artist.
Growing up with Kevin
It took her around ten to fifteen hours to complete the portrait.
"I started out with different sketches and took a few photos as Kevin doesn’t really like sitting still. I captured a photo of him looking directly at me."
Jasmine shares that conversations with her 14-year-old brother would normally start with how their day went to the day's weather.
"We are very different, but in our own way we like to bond over conversations like the clothes we are wearing."
Growing up with Kevin made Jasmine more aware of his moods and needs.
"He can get a bit emotional at times, and I have learned how to calm him and manage the situation."
Having grown up in a multicultural family, with her mother being born and raised in the Philippines while her father in Australia, she learned how different cultures deal with raising a disabled child.
"It was definitely not easy at first. A lot of the time I wouldn’t understand why my brother got more attention than I did. I probably coped by trying to get more attention; over time I began to understand his needs and become more understanding."
Jasmine and Kevin like to talk about random things such as the weather, clothes and things that happened to them during the day Credit: Jasmine Goon
"Art helped me along the track," says Jasmine. Her interest in art began around 12 years ago.
"I always had the drive to draw and perfect my drawings. I love replicating pictures. I was always interested in creating things from a handmade kite, handmade posters, anything really. Art has always helped me cope by expressing my creativity."
What happened when she learned she won this year’s Young Archibald for the 16–18-year-old category?
"When I knew I was a finalist I knew that the awards would be announced on a certain day. I looked around 12pm and I saw a glimpse of my name, I called my mum and my dad, but no one was home.
They were all at work. I came home. Everyone was still out. I was home alone; I was crying and screaming."
After the Archibald
"At the moment, I don’t have a clear vision; I know I’ll be doing something with art," says the year 11 student adding "I just want to focus on what I’m doing now and I think that will help in creating a path for my future."
"For me, it means there’s a lot of hope for the future in conveying a message and supporting families with neurodivergent siblings."
It is one of Jasmine's aspirations "to be able to use her art as a tool for sharing a cause close to her heart."
