Description
10"x10" “Phantasm” explores vulnerability, self-acceptance, and the courage to be seen, particularly within the context of mental health struggles. She faces the viewer head-on, embodying the tension between the desire to remain out of the spot light and the innate need to be witnessed in one’s full humanity. This direct, unwavering gaze reflects the internal struggle of wanting so badly to connect while also fearing rejection. As someone living with mental health challenges and has experienced the stigma that can surround it, I have often wrestled with the fear that revealing intimate details about myself. This piece is an act of accessing those fears and embracing the parts long kept in the dark, even if the confidence I put forward when disclosing still feels like a facade at times, like the name suggests. It is about finding strength in allowing everything about myself to be seen, which includes showing the parts that still feel raw. It is facing the stigma head-on despite the lack of attention paid and research done to better learn about women’s mental health—how society often imposes narrow standards despite lack of education, leaving little room for the truth of women’s experiences.
