Mind Matters Student Art Exhibition · Items

Love's Journey

Going through a traumatic event is a journey and you are never the same after the journey. But, hopefully, despite all that you go through, you do come through it.

2024

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This acrylic piece portrays the need or desire to stand out while at university in order to get a head start in a career. This is captured by the brightly coloured pink in this piece. However, the figure can be seen looking over her shoulder and remembering everything in their past that has shaped them. Instagram - art.by_kaitlyn_

2024

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This is a foot of a Bharatnatyan Dancer, I painted this for gifting my best friend who is a professional dancer.

2024

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Shattered Reflections

This piece feels a lot like my face split up, with flaws that make me look different. The broken glass is like how my thoughts often break my sense of self and send it all over the place. When I try to get clear, the chaos inside me blurs my vision and makes it hard to find myself.

2024

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Mental Turmoil

This piece of art symbolises the weight of thoughts or feelings that are too much to handle. The head of the person disappearing into the swirl of chaos makes you feel like you're losing control.

2024

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This acrylic piece portrays an unfinished woman, which represents the start of a journey, whether thats career or just life in general. Rainbows often represents a promise of better times which I believe is the hope of everyone when embarking into the unknown. Blue is the main focus colour of the piece, this is done to evoke a feeling of calmness or serenity. Instagram - art.by_kaitlyn_

2024

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Swimming in Isolation

This acrylic piece aims to incapsulate the isolation and loneliness that students may find surrounds them when they fully commit to the full time study schedule. The paint splotches of different shades of blue around the sides gives the effect of movement, suggesting water, while covering part of the face. This symbolises that this feeling can be overcome. Instagram - art.by_kaitlyn_

2024

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Ajali

Hyperrealistic graphite drawing, I made during my gloomy days. I had been going through depression and saw a beautiful picture of Ajali, which inspired me to draw and capture her stillness in my work. The whole process of creating this artwork helped me to overcome my mental illness. The stillness and emotions in this artwork calm my mind.

2024

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The Invisible Hand

The struggle between heaven and hell. The central figure, encased in a glass jar, faces the viewer, questioning her choices. Though her body leans towards hell, an invisible hand guides her, representing faith. Floating in an ocean, she is both protected and conflicted. Her brown colour reflects race and the ability to sculpt herself. Surrealism and expressionism depict a journey of self-discovery.

2024

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ROOTing for bliss

Cosmics of art and unconscious. idea is to leave out the stress, worries and branch out into the world with blissful energy.

2024

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The Himalayas had given me the most precious gift – the realisation that the strength to overcome life's storms lies within, waiting to be discovered. And as I trekked back down to the world below, I knew that no matter what challenges life threw my way, I would forever be anchored by the beauty and resilience of the great Himalayas. Watercolor on handmade paper – a village in the Himalayas.

2023

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Imprinted Growth

When maintaining positive mental health and wellbeing, it is important that you build a stockpile of constructive coping strategies. 'Imprinted Growth' illustrates my evolving tapestry of these mechanisms, and how it is drawn upon every day.

2023

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The Rising

This poetry is inspired by my time spent in contemplative practice. Chai has often connected me to my culture and heritage, and it with it I like to sit and journal. During this time, I have often found myself lost in a dream of the past or future. This inspired me to reflect, but also find hope within to create the change I was yearning for, by finding romanticism in suffering.

2023

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Heartbreak

Things that makes you breaks you actually makes you stronger.

2023

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Wintering

This is my wintering. It is a self portrait in a photo studio with a single light. My usual style is far more fantastical, yet with the launch of AI images there is such a plethora of fantastical images and videos online that I have felt overwhelmed. For me, this has lead to me shut down; yet also appreciate simple styles and techniques. Wintering is resting before new growth. Death and rebirth.

2023

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No title

This poignant painting reveals the intimate connection between emotions and mental health through the depiction of a naked woman adorned with a rich array of colours. Each stroke on the canvas portrays a different facet of the emotional spectrum that individuals experience as they navigate the complexities of their mental well being. Fiery reds and oranges represent the intense emotions covering her.

2023

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No title

There's this feeling of complete and utter desolation when you hit a low mental point in your life. I wanted to replicate that feeling of sinking, of feeling alone, through the use of photography. It's a photograph of nothing, in a way – because it's that bleak numbness that suffocates you.

2023

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For now today is enough.

Through rough patches, it's important to remember all the little things that make life good, and to seize on them and still have hope that things will improve, as well as staying in the moment and trying to enjoy life as much as possible. A mental health journey is never linear, and it's important to embrace the good times despite the bad. This is digital art, overlaid with a free-to-use font.

2023

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Remember And Look

Mental health problems can be compounded by regrets of various kinds, grief for the person you used to be, and missed opportunities. In this poem, I tried to emphasise the strength it takes to go on anyway despite those regrets, and that the person I have become is still worth it. I wrote it specifically about self-harm, but it can be applied to a variety of disordered thoughts and behaviours.

2023

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On Bravery

One necessary thing with fighting mental health issues is courage and bravery in the fight. In this poem, I remembered the inspiring courage of a friend and the way we must stick at life despite everything. With the right support, a short-term crisis should improve, but it's hard to remember sometimes. Symbolism can be important to build into one's life as a reminder of what we should try to do.

2023

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Don't You Know

I once read that the support of friends can sometimes be the difference between people with severe mental health issues getting through it, and not. In this piece, I wanted to represent how I feel, both supporting and being supported. Depression can feel incredibly isolating, but a strong support network reminds us that our minds are playing tricks on us.

2023

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Winter Mist

Depression feels forever. I wanted to remind myself and others that there are seasons in life and it will not be forever, despite the way it feels. I ended it without a full stop to signify the ongoing process it can be, and the small steps that have to be taken to recover from it.

2023

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Rebirth 2

Rebirth is based on grief and the process of accepting loss. In this image “Rebirth 2”, I explored the ideas of death, afterlife and immortality. Water has been widely used throughout history to symbolise change, healing and rebirth. Inspired by this concept I focused my subjects in a large body of water, specifically at the beach where one world meets another.

2022

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Absorbed

Inspired by Edward Honaker and his series on depression this image was created in response to the ever growing "importance" of social media. Being connected is in fact creating a complete disconnect. This emersion into the online doesn't come without its price; we are now seeing the evolution of Social Media Anxiety.

2022

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Social Media Anxiety

This piece “Social Media Anxiety” explores the idea of creating an online persona and it’s need to generate likes and follows to feel worthy. Some people suffering from Social Media Anxiety may not even see their offline self as relevant, believing their online version is a better or truer self.

2022

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