Super Students
Saturday, February 6, 1999
Name: Huy Van
Age: 16
School: Farrington High School
Favorite subject: Art
Pastimes: Computer, art, Vietnamese American Club
Future: Graphics, commercial art
Huy Van can show you printed proof that he is successfully "growing up local." Impressive art, humble attitude
Last year's edition of the publication "Bamboo Ridge" focused on that theme, and used the Farrington junior's take on life as its cover.
In Van's drawing, schools of koi, representing strength, jump from an overcrowded, overpopulated blue aloha shirt to rest in a more serene, vibrant, light blue one. Van said the work, begun during his freshman year, represents the economic state of Hawaii today. The finished product was the result of numerous sketches and hours of detailed work. Details are important to Van as his pieces are reflections of himself.
"If I draw, I make it really quality work, I put all my feelings into it. I just focus on it till it's done."
Van hopes his artistic flair will get him into a good West Coast university, where he can explore art, or perhaps another subject, in depth.
"I want to keep my options open," he said.
Farrington Principal Catherine Payne said Van, an "outstanding artist," is humble about his talents and is also "a very, very good student." He holds a 3.6 GPA.
"He has won numerous local and national awards for his work," she said. "He's pretty much headed for good things. We know he'll make it."
Currently, Van is working on a cover piece for Newspapers in Education, a Hawaii high school journalism competition.
By Kimberly K. Fu, Star-Bulletin
