Class Spotlight: The Art of Cartography

Is a map merely a navigational tool? Or can it transcend, becoming a vessel for emotions and artistic expression?

In BBSG Junior Secondary classes, Geography and Visual Arts departments joined forces to present students with a unique challenge: create stylised maps inspired by abstract artists like Mondrian, using real geographic regions as their foundation.

This cross-disciplinary project wasn't just about combining subjects - it was about discovering new ways to understand our world.

Science Meets Art:

The Dual Nature of Maps

"Mapping is the art of symbols," declared Ms. Carmen Yang, the Junior Secondary Geography teacher, as she introduced the project's core concept in the initial lesson. This task demanded both geographical precision — involving accurate scales, topography, and information — and artistic freedom in terms of colour, composition, and emotional expression.

When students began their creations, they quickly realised they needed knowledge from multiple disciplines. They selected map sections, measured dimensions, and precisely scaled them to their canvases. "The most challenging part was calculating the scale ratios," reflected students Lina F and Bella L

The process combined geographic map-reading skills, artistic symbolic thinking, and mathematical calculations..

From 2D to 3D:

A Hands-on Exploration

The artistic phase drew inspiration from artists like Mondrian and Henryk Tomaszewski, known for their bold colours and distinct shapes. Students need to transform complex maps into stylised artistic pieces.

Outside the Visual Arts classroom hangs the phrase "I think with my hands." Students embraced this philosophy during their practices, using cardboard, straws, and foam boards to represent roads and city blocks.

"Get rid of the details, keep the shapes. We're creating art, not copying maps," Visual Arts teacher Mr. Kuba Budzynski frequently reminded students. Through countless attempts, students transformed geographical features into artistic elements, developing their abstract thinking skills in the process.

Fostering Creativity in the AI Era

Ms. Carmen Yang has evolved this cross-disciplinary project over three years at BBSG. 

It began with clay topographic models:

Then, it progressed to Mondrian-style 2D maps:

And now, it encompasses both 2D and 3D creations with greater creative freedom.

Transforming geographic data into aesthetic expression combines artistic sensitivity with geographic knowledge. This process develops students' adaptability, innovation, and complex problem-solving skills, all of which are essential abilities for their future academic and professional endeavours.

—— Ms. Carmen Yang, 

Junior Secondary Geography Teacher

Moreover, there are no "standard answers" that could be found through search engines or AI tools for this project. Students’ final projects will be evaluated across multiple dimensions: geographic knowledge, research skills, critical thinking, artistic creativity, design composition, visual impact, etc.

I enjoyed experimenting with different colour schemes until I found the perfect combination for my map.

—— Lucy C, Grade 7 Student

Through this creative collision of colours and lines, students presented unique artistic interpretations of different corners of our planet Earth. At BBSG, we aim to nurture students who can understand and shape our world through diverse perspectives and maintain a passion for storytelling in their own unique ways.