This Final Exhibiton was my final project of grade 12 art in high school. The theme that everyone's projects was based around the human mind and the power that it can hold.
Mental health has been a big part of my life, and I am aware that it is a large part of many people’s lives as well. Throughout the years, I have struggled with a variety of mental health issues, which have affected my life a lot. When It came time to do this exhibition, I knew immediately that I wanted to do something relating to some of my personal mental health struggles. Over the past few years, I have become really interested in digital art and photography. When I got to choose the medium for this project, I chose to use digital art, mixed with photography and graphic design. While it was slightly challenging for me to get used to, I was able to learn a lot from it and be a lot more flexible and creative than I would be while using paints or other physical art mediums. Each piece represents very different struggles, but they all fall under the umbrella of my personal experiences and struggles, representing and bringing light to what goes on in my mind.
Below, you will find the process and thinking behind each of my pieces, as well as my written reflection and artist's statement. Enjoy!
ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD): My own brain was the main inspiration behind this piece. Something that I have struggled with internally since I was a child, ADHD can display itself in many forms. This work, however, helped me to process how it plays out and affects my brain. Through various aspects of the piece, you can see the distractions, the weight, medication, clarity, and the overwhelm that I experience from this disorder. It is designed to cause distraction and overwhelm the viewer, in order to truly represent the experience. Working with personal photos and artwork of mine made it all the more personal and representative of me, in hopes that people can gain a better understanding of this disorder.
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER: Anxiety disorders affect many people these days, in various ways. They can be caused by a number of circumstances, but the outcome is often the same. In this piece, I tried to represent that general outcome. There is a panic in the expression on my face, surrounded by lights and anxious thoughts. This is intended to create a sense of chaos and urgency for the viewer. My goal in this artwork is to create a representation of what anxiety feels and looks like for an individual. I have experienced anxiety in my own life, so working on this project was a healing way to display it to those around me. Not only to create a better understanding of the disorder for others but to help people who also experience anxiety feel seen and heard.
BODY DYSMORPHIC DISORDER: This piece represents a struggle that many individuals go through in their lives, called Body Dysmorphia. This disorder can often lead to other eating disorders like Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge-Eating Disorder, and more. Through the critical analysis of your own appearance, the body tends to become distorted and compared to the ideal of the time. This is shown through the lines and measurements on the body, and body shapes in the background of this piece. With the unrealistic beauty standards that are placed on us by society, unfortunately, this is something that many people struggle with, including myself, which is why I chose to represent this struggle through art.
MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER (DEPRESSION): Oftentimes, the result of traumatic events or loss can lead to depression. Depression can also occur seasonally for some, or for no reason at all. There isn’t always a reason for people, and when you are experiencing it, it can be difficult to know exactly why. Clouds and stone were big aspects in displaying this disorder. The clouds represent how your brain is filled with so many thoughts, yet you feel nothing at all. You are weighed down by this sadness, and often cannot even get out of bed. This disorder affects people in many different ways, whether they are short periods of time because of immense grief, or longer episodes because of trauma. It is my hope that people can observe this piece and understand the difficulty of experiencing depression.
