After winning award in Burlington County art show, Seneca junior Devon Borkowski, 16, discusses her craft
Devon Borkowski’s artwork is a window into her mind, a way the teenager is able to show others how she views the world.
“I think that’s a really important thing for everyone to be able to do,” Borkowski said. “People can do it in their own way, but art is a way a lot of people can share very clear views of how they see things. I think that’s really cool.”
Working primarily in graphite and colored pencil, the 16-year-old has adeptly honed her craft over the years, conveying a sense of wonderment through her detailed portraiture. Borkowski was recently honored for one of these pieces, earning an Award of Excellence for a remixed self-portrait she entered in the Center for the Arts Burlington County High School Students’ Exhibition. Impressed by many pieces in the show, Borkowski was especially proud of the honor.
“So many pieces in the show were so good,” she said, “so it felt like a big deal.”
Art runs in the family for the Seneca High School junior. Her aunt and cousin are both artists, and while her mother doesn’t work as an artist professionally, she’s also talented, Borkowski said. Borkowski is on the art track at Seneca, this year as an art major — similar to an honors art program — and next year as part of Advanced Placement art. She’s grateful to her Seneca teachers Robert Dooley and Katie Cichon for their guidance.
“They’re both really good teachers. Very different,” Borkowski said.
The teen also takes classes once a week from Anita Garcia at the Center for the Arts. While the piece she entered in the high school exhibition was completed as an assignment from Seneca, the classes she takes from Garcia are more free range, giving Borkowski the opportunity to work on whatever she would like while getting instruction.
The artist’s favorite medium is graphite.
“It’s what I’m most used to and what I’m best at,” she said, explaining graphite lends itself to her favorite piece to create — a portrait. “Other stuff can be fun, but it’s a lot more time consuming. My teachers can tell you I already take a lot more time than I should on a lot of my projects. Graphite is the medium I’m most likely to finish a piece in.”
Time created trouble for Borkowski’s Burlington County High School Students’ Exhibition submission. The half graphite, half colored pencil self-portrait depicts Borkowski’s face fading from black and white into vibrant color. The hours spent on the work are evident in the minute detail and carefully blended strokes, and when asked how long it took, Borkowski admitted it was “longer than it should have.”
Students had a week to finish their portraits, but when it was clear Borkowski’s wouldn’t be finished, Cichon said she could bring it home over winter break as long as it came back completely done and matted.
“I’m pretty proud of it. It was a lot of work,” Borkowski said. “I spent all of winter break working on it.”
The award for this self-portrait is the fourth for Borkowski, who has won three others at the Center for the Arts. She also recently submitted a piece in the Deborah Heart Challenge and Art Competition, another graphite and colored pencil creation.
“We all did pieces that involve the heart. Everyone had a different interpretation of it,” Borkowski said, “and it was really cool.”
When she’s not busy in her art studio, Borkowski enjoys reading — Jonathan Stroud is a favorite — and is a part of Seneca’s ROTC and literary magazine, for which she contributes both artwork and short stories. She also channels her creativity into another unique outlet — performing at the New Jersey Renaissance Faire.
“We went for two years before I auditioned. My mom said if I could keep my grades up for the last marking period of that year, then I could audition,” Borkowski said. She was cast as an artist her first year, and last year she performed as the duke and duchess’ daughter. “I really love the whole period thing, and the people who work there are fantastic. I always loved going, so getting to see behind the scenes is so much fun. When really little kids come through, they get so excited. It’s so great to have someone get that excited to see you.”
Borkowski plans on going to college, but thus far, she’s not settled on a concentration. Regardless of what career path she chooses, however, Borkowski knows one thing for certain — art will always be a part of her life.
“Everything you see throughout your day was designed by an artist. Ads and furniture and every piece of clothing you’ve ever worn was designed by an artist,” Borkowski said. “Without them, the world would be a pretty boring place.”
