Having undergone a lengthy treatment for clinical depression and bipolar disorder, I have come to realise – through first-hand experience – that, contrary to popular misconception, mental illness does not foster creativity. Quite the opposite, it renders you helpless, draining your energy and taking up all the time you could have otherwise spent on artistic endeavours.
With barren dark months behind me, I have focused on the transformations an artist’s work and personality endure because of illness. It is my goal to break down the misleading romantic link between mental disorders and talent and productivity, a connection that has been the bane of creative individuals for centuries.
Researchers have long ago come to a conclusion that mental illness is neither necessary nor sufficient for creativity. And this is something I am out to prove with my work as I also explore themes such as in-between states, physical and psychological limitations, fear, isolation and death.
Staying faithful to photography as my principal medium, I never stop looking for ways to push its boundaries and transcend the two-dimensional image that I see as a starting point for further experiments and the centre of my installations.