Masked Misery
Dimensions: 18” x 24”
Medium: Pigma Micron pens, black Indian ink, white ink
Date: October 2020
Masked Misery is a series in which I explore the topic of men’s mental health and how it has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The surgical mask is something that is now immediately associated with protection from the virus, but what it also represents in my artwork is the emotionless facade society makes men wear. Men are pressured to pose as stoic, bread-winning, independent characters. This constant expectation to be seen as tough and emotionless prohibits them from being open about their mental health issues. The silence around men’s mental health has gone on for too long and is leaving severely detrimental impacts on certain communities of men such as men of colour. My surrealistic style involving space-like imagery emphasizes the feeling of being lonely in solitude, much like how it felt being inside and alone during quarantine. The purpose of my work is to bring attention to an issue that I feel is not talked about enough as it should be, to encourage men to reach out and be open about their mental health, and to help break down the stigma attached to men’s mental health issues.
