Concordia student scores big in national design competition
Concordia Lutheran College Year 5 student, Stefan Pajic, has been named as a runner-up in the national Warwick Design Competition which saw students from around Australia flexing their creative muscle. His winning design, inspired by his love for gaming, has been turned into fabric covering stylish foot stools and pillows.
The Creative Kids competition was launched by design company Warwick Fabrics to inspire primary school students to use patterns in a fun way with the prize being having their designs actually put on real furniture.
Schools from around Australia became involved with students submitting designs featuring local landmarks, textures, colours and character.
The competition called on young designers to think outside the box and create unique patterns.
“I love gaming and when planning the design, I just thought of the things that I really like, like Minecraft and Roblox, where you can build games and role-play in new worlds,” he said.
The competition called on young designers to think outside the box and create unique patterns. Stefan’s entry stood out for its vivid representation of his passion for gaming and art.
“I really like art because I can show what I like to do and really explore,” he explained.
When asked how he felt about his runner-up status, Stefan beamed, “I was really surprised. There were other entries that I thought were brilliant, so to be the runner up is just wonderful.”
The support from his teachers at Concordia also played a pivotal role in his success. “I found out when our teacher Mr Trappett called my mum,” Stefan said. “I was very happy. It’s great to have everyone be so nice and supportive here at school.”
The judges - Andrea Lucena-Orr, Colour & Communications Manager at Dulux Group, Tracey Wright, SA Project Consultant for Workspace and Luciana Wallis, Head of Design at Warwick Fabrics - had a tough time deciding on the winners.
“This competition was such a great initiative to encourage children to think creatively and create a piece of art with their hands. There is value in enabling children to think creatively so that they may develop problem-solving skills and explore new ideas. In the winner’s piece of artwork, I loved the courage shown to explore emotion and the consideration of form and colour used to express those,” Judge Tracey Wright said.
Having moved from Canada to Toowoomba recently, Stefan expressed his gratitude for the opportunities Concordia Lutheran College has offered him.
“I’ve been here since Year 4, and I like it because there are a lot of opportunities like this art competition,” he said. “You can really chase your dreams, and no one will judge.”
Stefan’s creativity isn’t confined to the world of art. He also has a passion for soccer and field hockey and can see himself exploring a future full of possibilities. “I might do more with art when I get older,” said Stefan.
For now, he is excited to see his design come to life as furniture pieces. Some will be displayed publicly, while others will be placed in his gaming room at home.
