This artwork is dedicated to a close friend that attempted to commit suicide, to which the event took a toll on me and I found myself having difficulty recovering from it. It demonstrates in a visual sense my thoughts and emotions about the situation. It is filled with small details which formulate the larger aspect, with separate symbolism and meanings to each line and shape. The work utilises a wide array of mediums such as acrylic paint, oil pastel, oil stick, UV paint, self-adhesive letters, canvas and spray paint. The boldest section “All my friends are depressed”, which has a spray-painted line through all the words except for the last, is symbolic of my friendship group that was affected by this event all one-by-one confessing to being depressed and struggling mentally. The strain that this had on our group allowed for a stronger connection between us to be formed. I aim to emphasize mental health as a strong point in the work due to it still being a highly taboo topic in modern society despite it affecting everyone no matter what race, gender or religion.

Acrylic paint, pastel, oil sticks on canvas