At the start and end of every school day, you can find junior artist Ari Kamat in room 320 at Lawrence High, working hard on her latest art project.
“Ari is one of the most dedicated and passionate artists I have met,” junior and fellow art student Wren Jay said.
Each semester, the portfolio level class does four to five major assignments in a year, but Kamat was set on doing more.
“She had heard that at my other school that I taught at in New York, students would do eight to 12 assignments in the same time period that we’re doing four to five here,” Lawrence High painting and drawing teacher Todd Poteet said.
Kamat set a goal to try to do six assignments in the first semester and eight in the second semester.
“She’s trying to figure out how to pick up her speed so that when she gets to college, she’ll be more prepared to compete at that level,” Poteet said.
Kamat spends copious amounts of time on her pieces, which is manifested through the intricacies of her final products.
“I think most people don’t know just how much time she spends on her art, and how quickly she does it; she’s the fastest one in the class,” Jay said, referring to Poteet’s 1st hour portfolio class they share. “That kind of drive is unusual. Most people are like, Oh, what’s the minimum I have to do? She’s like, “How much can I do?”
Kamat’s artist journey has been long-standing, with her involvement in LHS Visual Arts being just the latest chapter.
“I’ve been making art since I was a little kid, and I wanted to keep doing it through high school and beyond,” Kamat said.
Along with other Lawrence High artists, Kamat was awarded the Gold Key award this year, a prestigious honor representing the highest level of regional achievement in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, allowing her advancement towards competition at the national level.
Kamat received the Gold Key distinction last year as well, for her painting “Quiet Expression” and an honorable mention for her painting “Distractions”, an impressive accomplishment for the then-underclassman.
These paintings were an example of how Kamat tends to find inspiration for her works in different elements of her personal life.
“I don’t usually focus on big world problems—it’s things I know well about myself or people close to me,” Kamat said.
Kamat’s works are often simple at first glance, leading some viewers to easily miss the hidden meanings behind her brushstrokes.
“She did a piece this past fall that was about hidden secrets, looking at it, you wouldn’t necessarily know what the secret is,” Poteet said, “It’s very subtle, you have to take time with it to really fully experience it.”
Kamat’s peers appreciate her distinct attention to specific details.
“I really admire Ari’s ability to capture relationships in her art; the emotions and storytelling is insane,” Jay said.
One of Kamat’s favorite things about being an artist is the connection she makes with her peers through creation.
“You meet people with similar interests who want to do the same things. You can learn from each other and connect with others who share your goals,” Kamat said.
Poteet witnesses the respect Kamat’s peers hold for her.
“I think she has great respect from all her peers; everybody in the art room values her opinion during critiques, and they seek her help out during projects,” Poteet said.
Junior and fellow art student Fatima Elshekhi finds Ari’s artistic success highly motivating.
“She just inspires me to improve my skills to really focus on my own personal artwork,” Elshekhi said.
Jay agreed, reflecting on Kamat’s impacts.
“Ari inspires me every day through her determination and appreciation of her art; she doesn’t let time or life get in her way, and I really wish I could embody that more,” Jay said.
