Mixed Media Art

Bipolar disorder is a mental illness marked by extreme shifts in moods, ranging from a manic to a depressive state.

To portray a depressive mood, I have chosen an image of a black hole, which occurs when the gravitational pull is so intense that even light cannot escape. Opposite of a black hole is a white hole, which I selected to represent a manic state.

I converted a mood disorder chart of a normal, a manic and a depressive mood into a colour chart according to a PET scan. A PET scan depicts manic as red, orange and yellow, whereas blue and green depicts depression. I overlaid the chart with small images of auras of numerous people’s moods.

The butterfly symbolises the transformation a bipolar sufferer must endure. In pupa stage no one sees the struggles and battles of the mind. But through embracing oneself…an exquisite butterfly emerges!