The Fine Arts Week is a significant, memorable and meaningful annual event in HFI. Art reflects souls and dreams, sings the movement of our hearts, and stirs imagination. This year, the Fine Arts Week is composed of two divisions: a seminar as regards Reality & Illusion organized by the club Gallery of Babel and the FAW Gala, a stage that sparks HFIers’ unique arts. During Fine Arts Week, students are immersed in the artistic vibe wholeheartedly, viewing extraordinary artworks and demonstrating talents. The beautiful melodies, powerful rhythms, imaginative brushstrokes, and inspiring movements all came together to make the HFI 2025 Fine Art Week a resounding success.

The seminar Reality & Illusion by the club Gallery of Babel

“So where lies my dream? It flows beyond the edge of reality. And where lies my reality? At the fading shore of the dream.” This is one of the mottos carried out by the Gallery of Babel club in the seminar. As the beginning of Fine Arts Week, club Gallery of Babel has led an impressive seminar in the realm of Reality & Illusion, highlighting the intricate but inspiring relationships between boundaries of reality and illusion from philosophical perspectives. Some members of the club informed participants of the seminar about the beauty in Japanese culture. The seminar discussed the pathos and the beauty of imperfection in Japanese art forms. Throughout the seminar, students were introduced to various related literature, thought collaboratively in regard to the topic and were inspired to the philosophy accordingly. The art itself as well as students’ devotion in terms of discussions had left profound impression, successfully initiating the annual event.

FAW Gala

The FAW gala, as the final showcase, celebrated students’ enthusiasm towards art. Various forms of art were unfolded at the night of FAW gala. The graceful and electrifying performances — including but not limited to singing, dancing, and drama performances — resonated audience and created an atmosphere full of joy and festivity.

The gala commenced in the soul-stirring piano piece “One Last Kiss”, bringing the most flowing and touching melody to life. The songs “Unapproachable You”, “Lonely Thoughts”, and “I Really Want to Stay at Your House” were orderly rendered in harmonious melody and moving vibe. Within them, the beautiful song “Lonely Thoughts” presented by Drama club uncovered a hidden side of youth. The song illustrated how the unspoken feelings of tender age finally found their echo. The lyrical melody struck a deep resonance with the audience.

One of the standout events was a thrilling performance by A cappella Club, who definitely caught everyone's attention with their wonderful performance of two hit songs—— “Pink Pony Club” and “Try Everything”. When the familiar melody of “Try Everything” burst into the audience's ears, the whole room was lit up. The flawless harmonies, beat-box rhythms, and pleasing solos transformed the electronic beats into pure vocal brilliance. Later, the performance peaked when two students dressed as Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Disney’s beloved movie, Zootopia, bounced into the audience. They handed out candies to the audience in every row, receiving screams and applause from all directions.

Following the A cappella Club's performance, the stage was transformed for a dazzling display by the Dance Club, Fusion. The club gave a ‘dance medley’ with a dynamic mix of styles and captivated the audience with their explosive energy and creativity. The light beams wove colorful threads into the dancers' silhouettes, creating a sight for sore eyes.

With the audience still buzzing from the dance performances, the Drama Club took the center stage with a musical medley from Les Misérables. In their recreation of this epic tale of revolution and redemption, the audience witnessed the radiance of humanity. As the performance continued, you could feel how much passion every member had poured into this extraordinary show.

The curtain falls as the FAW Gala ends in our unceasing applause. Through seminars, exhibitions, and stage performances, HFI students explored the boundless spectrum of art and the boundaries between reality and illusion. From classical arias to hip-hop beats, from vocal wonders to stage aesthetics, none of the memorable moments could have taken place without the efforts of the students and school faculty. The energy and creativity of the HFI community have once again inspired all of us. We eagerly await the next chapter of this celebration of art.

Writer: Lucy Huang, Yoyo Zeng

Editor: Jennifer Jiang