The Forest Songs: Intro
In each piece, I maintain texture and detail, rather than using the extreme digital treatment of Superflat. I use these details to carry the stories and emotions of mental illness patients. The brushwork and textural folds brought by traditional media are not mere “painting marks” but a natural expression of the storytelling process. They represent the inner world that is often overlooked. At the same time, I strongly resist the stereotypical depictions of mental illness in mainstream media. Therefore, in my paintings, depression is no longer presented through chaotic, dark visuals; ADHD is expressed with order, while the hidden conflicts are portrayed in other parts of the painting. Each piece is a chapter of an untold fairytale, waiting for the viewer to read.
Mental crisis is not just a cold diagnosis; it is a profound and unique life experience. In the face of powerful social mechanisms, the voices of people with mental illness are often suppressed and standardized. Their stories and behaviors are distorted into a single “normal” standard, leaving them seldom heard or understood.
I hope these works invite you to sit quietly, immerse yourself in each story, and reach out to touch the shell constructed by society’s stigma, a shell built by patients for self-protection. I hope these works can evoke more understanding and empathy, so that people with mental illness are no longer a discriminated group in society, but truly respected and understood individuals.
The Forest Songs: Intro
2023, Oil on Canvas, 40*50cm, Khankwok
2023, Oil on Canvas, 40*50cm, Khankwok