WASNJ｜Zero Experience to UAL! A deep dive into our art pathway
It’s exam season again, and when people think of the ever-expanding “art-exam army”, most people picture students who “aren’t academically strong turning to art” and “sitting on tiny stools drawing for ten-hour stretches” under gruelling conditions.
Yet take Michelle, one of Wycombe Abbey School Nanjing’s inaugural graduates on an international art track: she’s an all-A student in maths and economics, who has never endured harsh technical art drills, and as a child burst into tears when first attempting sketching. Nonetheless, she still secured undergraduate offers in Illustration and Graphic Design from the world-leading University of the Arts London.
In China’s traditional art-exam system—where without years of intense repetition in sketching, colour and life drawing, entry to top academies such as the Central Academy of Fine Arts or Tsinghua Academy is deemed a pipe dream—this is unimaginable.
In this Graduate Series, we follow Michelle’s art journey at Wycombe Abbey School Nanjing, compare domestic and overseas art education, and explore how institutions like UAL select and cultivate talent, offering practical insights for families and students with similar ambitions.
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