This post contains the photography component of the exhibition. To see the rest of the exhibition in detail, please click here.
One of the challenges I faced was getting a good photo under unpredictable light settings and even under bad weather conditions.
The photo captions were written by the contributors.
“While I am fighting my two demons, a token of LOVE’ sustains me.
(The dollar note is) a piece of my grandmother’s memory that kept me going.”
Male, 44 years old
Smith & Wesson 1st Responder Knife
“I used to self harm myself with a penknife during my early days in coping with my depression. I wanted to find a knife that would be useful to me & which would not be a self-harming tool.
Slowly I was able stop harming myself & I keep it as a reminder for myself & not relapse again.”
Silver Ring
“In the inner part of the ring, there is a name & DOB (Date of Birth) & DOD (Date of Death) engraved.
Losing this person changed my entire world. Whenever I feel lonely or vulnerable, I would wear the ring to keep me going and remember the good times I had with this person.
Here is what is engraved:
Grace Shanti 12/07/91-12/07/03”
Male, 28 years old
“As a guy who finds it hard to express his feelings like most guys out there, art was the outlet that helped me to express myself.
To me my art is a true expression of how I am feeling on a particular day or topic. It also offers an insight on my thoughts in which without doing art I wouldn’t able to express verbally or recognise.
Doing painting and writing poems has allowed me to let out my emotions instead of keeping it inside which has been affecting my mental health.”
Male, 28 years old
“Hugging Po acts as a deep pressure stimulation (DPS) that creates a calming effect whenever I have anxiety. I have soft toys at home and also in the office to help me get by.
But Po is special, named after the panda in ‘Kung Fu Panda’ because to me he is my protector. I got him in 2017 and have brought him around with me to classes, therapy sessions and even to conferences.
I hope to destigmatise having soft toys as an adult because for some of us, it’s more than just a toy.”
Female in her 20s
"人的一生很短，应该在年轻的时候多出去走走，看看外面的世界，体验不同的视野。
在自己能力的范围内，勇敢地踏出第一步。去哪里不重要，因为只有心态才能让你看見最美丽的风景。”
Translation:
"Life is short - you should travel more when you're young, see the world and have many different experiences. To the best of your capability, be brave and take that first step forward. It doesn't matter where you go, because with the right mentality you will be able to see the most beautiful scenery."
Female, 28 years old
“In order to participate fully in the dance of life, I have found that I must first listen to my inner movements.
Dance has been a great healing expression and companion in my time of darkness and depression. It has become a gentle vessel through which I make poetic sense of the madness and harsh realities.
And with dance, I have learnt to forgive my past, accept the present, and embrace the future.”
Female, 32 years old
