THE ART OF HEALING

HEALING IS A CONTINUOUS PROCESS THAT REQUIRES PATIENCE AND PRACTICE. AT ARTSCIENCE MUSEUM'S MENTAL: COLOURS OF WELLBEING EXHIBITION, VISITORS ARE INVITED TO LEARN ABOUT MENTAL WELLBEING AND HEAL THROUGH ART. WE SPEAK TO THREE LOCAL ARTISTS PART OF THE EXHIBITION - DIVAAGAR, ALECIA NEO AND LEE YI XUAN - WHOSE WORKS PROVIDE A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT MENTAL HEALTH LOOKS LIKE

- DANISHA LIANG 

The ongoing conversation on mental health is one that has been gaining momentum as more people around the world learn about the importance of health beyond its physical aspects. At the heart of ArtScience Museum's year-long project, Season of Wellbeing, is an exhibition that explores the diversity in mental health journeys. Mental: Colours of Wellbeing, a collaboration with Science Gallery Melbourne at the University of Melbourne, expands the way we look at dialogues of mental health through art, science and technology.

With its 24 large-scale exhibits in the gallery space, Mental: Colours of Wellbeing invites its visitors to freely walk through and develop their independent paths towards mental health. The exhibition allows visitors to focus on the kaleidoscopic spectrum of what well-being looks like and to chart their own explorations of mental health.

Mental: Colours of Wellbeing is broken down into four central themes - Connection, Exploration, Expression, and Reflection that visitors of all ages can dive into. Each artist's interpretation of mental well-being takes on a life of its own, illustrating the power of recognising the individuality of healing.

The installations hail from all over the globe, and include seven works from Southeast Asian artists. We talk to three of the local artists who exhibited works in Mental: Colours of Wellbeing, delving into the media that bring the conversation of mental health to the forefront of their deeply personal works.

DIVAAGAR (MODEL: KITCHEN, 2022)