Zahra Farlow

My series follows the progression of my mental health. The viewer joins me in revisiting my past experiences, from when the depression first hit, my lowest lows, to finally making it to a semi-stable place mentally. It feels very vulnerable putting my experiences out there like this, but it also feels healing to turn my struggles into art. I’m an advocate for mental health, as it has heavily impacted my life. This series is very meaningful to me and with it, I hope to raise awareness for the effect mental health has on many people.

At first, my artwork felt as if I was just recreating exactly what I went through, I found I didn’t want to do that; I wanted to turn my experiences and struggles into something more creative. As I tried out using text and personal symbols (such as the bandages that make visible my emotional suffering and the spirals that represent complex emotions and the feeling of spiraling) in my pieces, I finally got more excited about my work. I would use mixed media supplies to create these pieces and that helped create a more layered and interesting experience.