Transcendence of Self: Overcoming Melancholia


  • Photographer
    Tsu-Han Hwang
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention
  • Date of Photograph
    2017
  • Technical Info
    mixed media, alt process

I used to suffer from Melancholia. During those days, I lost the will to live because of bullying and the stress of school. Those memories haunted me continuously. They brought feelings of worthlessness and emptiness. I dodged and rejected the fact that those memories were a part of me. Even when I pushed the memories and sorrow from my head, I still could feel the wounds and hatred in my heart. One day, my parents introduced a psychiatrist who helped me to face the past I used to find too painful. I gradually learned to accept myself and began the healing process. I soon realized that my friends and family had always been beside me, supporting me, and continued to stay with me as I fought to overcome my depression. As a result, I have created a series of self-portraits using mixed-media artwork to release the feelings of my past. Through the creation process, I feel as though I am able to free myself from the negative memories; by manipulating each print by hand, getting closer to my inner self, and experiencing a deeper connection to the emotion. I feel my prints are far more convincing than words as an emotive tool of communication.

You can create multiple entries, and pay for them at the same time.
Just go to your History, and select multiple entries that you would like to pay for.