June 15: Future Self Portrait

A Self-Portrait in the Style of George Keyt

Assigned Teachers: Suren, Piyumika, Krishanka

Duration: 1.5 hours

Age: 6-16

Intro

Students will explore identity, imagination, and abstract expression by creating a future-facing self-portrait inspired by the flowing lines and cubist influence of Sri Lankan modernist George Keyt.

You will need:

  1. A4 or A3 drawing paper

  2. Black markers or pens

  3. Crayons, oil pastels, or paints

  4. Mirrors or printed student photos (ask students to bring)

  5. A bottle for the ‘spin the bottle’ exercise at the end. Can just be someone’s water bottle

Guide

Step 1: Imagine future self

  • “Imagine yourself in 10 or 20 years. Who will you be? How will you feel? What will you care about?”

  • Activity: Write 6 Words about your Future Self

  • Each student writes down six words that describe their future self. These can be traits, roles, or dreams.

  • Example: Kind. Bold. Artist. Explorer. Patient. Leader.

  • They can keep these words at the corner of their paper for inspiration during the drawing.

Step 2: Learn the Art Style

🧠 What Is Abstract Art?

  • Abstract art doesn’t copy real life—it uses shapes, lines, and color to show emotion and imagination.

  • Artists like Wassily Kandinsky believed colors were like music—nonverbal, expressive, and powerful.

🔷 What Is Cubism?

  • Cubism broke faces and objects into geometric shapes, showing multiple views (front + side) at once. It was developed by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, in Europe, but influenced artists around the world.

  • Cubism helps us see the world in new ways—not just how it looks, but how it feels or moves.

🌏 Who Was George Keyt?

  • A Sri Lankan modernist who combined Cubism and South Asian influences (temple murals, sculpture, poetry).

  • Known for flowing outlines, abstracted faces, and emotional expression through bold form and color.

  • His portraits are stylized, dreamlike, and rich with symbolism.

Here are some examples of Keyt’s portraits.

Ask:

  • “What do you notice about the shapes and lines?”

  • “Do these faces feel still or alive?”

  • “How is this different from a photo?”

Step 3: Create Your Future Self-Portrait (30 min)

  • Sketch a stylized face using bold black lines

    • Combine frontal + profile views

    • Use curved lines, geometric shapes, and symbolic details

  • Add 2–3 symbols (e.g., book, sun, tree, bird, heart) that reflect their six words

  • Use color blocks (crayon, pastel, or paint) to express feeling—not realism

    TIPS

  • Remind the students “Don’t draw your face—draw the feeling of who you’re becoming.”

  • Play some relaxing music while they draw

  • Encourage:

  • Exaggerated features

  • Asymmetry

  • Non-literal representation

  • Symbols and symbolic use of color

Step 4:

  • Sit or Stand in a circle outside

  • Hold up your portraits

  • Spin a bottle and ask students to share: One of their six words, One symbol they included, What their future self might want to tell their current self