IBChangemakers: ‘I explored how beauty lies in our differences’

In the IB curriculum, the Personal Project and e-Portfolio help students reflect on their learning in a meaningful way. The e-Portfolio shows their progress, creativity, and understanding of key concepts, while the Personal Project allows them to explore a topic of personal interest through research and independent work. Meet one such student, Aila Yersain of MYP-5 at Apeejay’s IB School, Apeejay School International, Panchsheel Park.

In a candid interview, she reflects on her learnings from her projects for the academic year 2025-26.

What is your personal project about?

My personal project is titled Bread More Than Everyday Science. It is about how we store bread in our household. During the monsoon season, when it rains a lot, we do not eat bread, and it would get mouldy. I think it is interesting for people to talk about food because I cook a lot and I bake a lot. It comes from my interest.

What is something interesting that you learnt during the personal project?

I learnt a bit of biology. For example, if you see mould, you just throw it out. Given that many families in India don’t have a refrigeration facility, I was trying to understand how to solve this problem and delved into it.

How did your teachers or facilitators help you?

I took an interview with one of my biology teachers, which helped me understand the biology side of mould in a better way. I also went out of school and interviewed a baker to learn how bread is stored and handled in real situations. A lot of other teachers helped me as well by guiding me bit by bit, giving suggestions, and helping me improve my understanding of the topic.

What is your ePortfolio about?

It was on Embracing Uniqueness. The idea behind it is that beauty and uniqueness are found in our differences. The key concept was Aesthetics, the related concept was Interpretation, and the global context was Identities and Relationships. My work connected to this idea by exploring how beauty, identity, body shape, skin tone, and cultural expression are all shaped by the differences that make each person unique.

Which artists did you study?

I mainly concentrated on three artists: Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí, and Wangechi Mutu. Frida Kahlo is a Mexican painter. Her work centres on symbolism, realism, and naive art. Most of her paintings are self-portraits. Salvador Dalí explores surrealism through unusual, dream-like paintings. Wangechi Mutu is a Kenyan American visual artist whose work explores identity, the female body, feminism, and Afrofuturist ideas.

Explain your artworks.

In my first artwork, I drew two female bodies. The first one is curvier, while the second one shows a specific body standard that is often depicted in today’s world. The curvier figure is inside a pomegranate, and trying to break the standards that exist nowadays. The hand helps her come out of the pomegranate, while the golden ropes are like chains that lock her.

In the second artwork, there is what society sees as the perfect body. Around her, there are small murals with eyes inside them. These eyes depict society. What I am trying to say is that society controls a lot of opinions and people’s views.

What was your learning curve?

My learning curve involved managing time better and improving my art techniques. I faced some issues while working on the artworks, but with my teacher’s guidance, I was able to understand where I needed to improve.