KUALA LUMPUR — Non-governmental organisation Mental Health Aid Association (Nyawa) recently hosted ‘Mahakarya: Seni, Persepsi, Ekspresi’, a private showcase featuring works by emerging local artists to push for greater mental health awareness in Malaysia.
Held at KongsiKL, Jalan Klang Lama, it brought together a fresh generation of talents. They include Dhan Illiani, Mulaika Nordin, Irynna Annuar and Zulhairul Ikram.
The two-hour event saw detailed and interactive presentations by the artists. They spoke of the layers to maintain or affect cognitive, behavioural, and emotional well-being.
“Art has a lot of meaning for me. And one of them is the ability to communicate things that might otherwise go unnoticed,” said student and freelance photographer Zulhairul. He had initially studied computer science before finding a passion for art and design.
“Photography has allowed me to explore digital art, which has truly been life-changing,” he added.
Speaking for the first time in front of an audience, Zulhairul shared that his illustration showed the spectrums faced by an individual diagnosed as bipolar.
“It’s hard to spot someone who is suffering from mental illness because most of the time they function just like anyone else.
“There is no physical element that can single a person out completely,” he said.
“It’s common for us to feel happy, angry or sad, but it may not be common to feel deep emotions all at once. This is what I hope to portray in my work.
“Art has a certain beauty (to express a story, idea, or thought) if you engage in it,” he added.
Nineteen-year-old abstract artist Mulaika expressed her creative process behind the work she produced.
“When I was first approached to create a piece for this showcase, understanding the theme, I decided to come up with my piece called ‘bedroom’,” she said.
“I don't usually talk about my art because as an abstract artist, the painting should speak for itself.
“But I struggled with my mental well-being for the past few years. And I can address the room because we have been so open with the topic surrounding mental health thus far.
“I spend a lot of time in my bedroom (especially during the past lockdowns) feeling the emotional turbulence that, at times, I find hard to explain. My painting is a direct reflection of that,” she highlighted.
“I do hope that when people look at the painting, they will take the time to feel and not think too much about what inspired it”.
Also seen present was public health physician Dr Nurashikin Ibrahim, with whom Nyawa has worked closely.
“I am glad to have been part of the session that merges issues and expressions in such a way. There’s a lot that could be learned even in such a format,” she said.
“Many countries such as Australia and some parts of Europe have done (interactive) exhibitions such as this to raise awareness on topics to be de-stigmatised,” added Nurashikin.
The mental health expert and doctor serving under MoH noted that building mental health resilience and initiatives that support it should be pushed further.
“And I encourage engagements such as Mahakarya,” she said.
“The key takeaway from this event is that there should be no judgement as we try our best to create a supportive environment of a collective healthy mental well-being,” added Nurashikin. – The Vibes, March 5, 2022
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