A Conversation About Deterioration
– Ceramic figurines telling stories about mental illness
The aim of the project A Conversation About Deterioration was to create fi gurines that serve as a point of departure for deeper conversations about mental health between those affected and their close family. These figurines are intended to function as a medium through which people may more easily approach and engage in dialogue about facing the challenges that mental illnesses can be.
The project is based on the intertwining of personal experiences along with the stories of others, using these as a foundation and source of inspiration in the story each fi gurine is telling. By conducting interviews that were individually designed for those who have varying experiences of mental illness, opportunities were created for the sharing of personal stories, thereby allowing these to become part of a ceramic conversation piece consisting of fi ve fi gurines in different colour palettes and sizes.
The figurines aesthetic – initially perceived as cute or whimsical – serves to create a contrast that invites refl ection and discussion, as their appearance does not immediately reveal the deeper meaning they may contain. The goal with this project is to invite viewers to interpret and refl ect upon what they perceive in the figurines. There is no correct or singular reading, as each and every personal experience will differ and play a part in what one sees in A Conversation About Deterioration.
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