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Current Exhibition
Art as a Response to Mental Health 2026
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Voting closes on 26 June 2026.
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Riptide
Emily Davidson
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Length (cm)
122
Width (cm)
122
Location
Hartlepool
Medium
Acrylic on Mdf
Selling Price
My work is based around the chaos of what can't be seen in the world through process art. I take a whole painting and cut out the area that would usually be focused onto present the idea of something feeling off within the work. Within my own experience I used the works as an outlet to deal with the emotions that I was feeling while painting. I have struggled with mental health for many years now and my outlet has always been my painting.
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e.j.davo_art
Animal world map
The Wonky Artist (Rachel Smith-Ruffle)
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Length (cm)
A3
Width (cm)
A3
Location
Manchester, UK
Medium
Watercolour
Selling Price
Original £500
All my work relates to mental health, especially my early pieces as I was on permanent bedrest at the time.
Self taught artist, full time wheelchair user. In 2018 I had to be on 15 months medical bedrest without getting up at all. I was in a very dark place when I received a gift of a simple set of paints from my husband. He wanted me to use painting as a sort of release/therapy. Lying flat on my side in bed, having to use both hands simultaneously to grip the brush, I started to paint and realised it did me good. When I was finally able to sit in my wheelchair again, I noticed none of my paintings were straight which is why I called myself .The Wonky Artist.
I paint with watercolours but also use some acrylics and fine liners in my practice. My work is full of life and colour and it makes people happy. I love to paint maps, nature and flowers.
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www.thewonkyartist.com @thewonkyartist
Eat me
Woomi lee
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Length (cm)
29.7 x 42 cm
Width (cm)
29.7 x 42 cm
Location
London
Medium
risograph
Selling Price
£50
Eat Me visualizes the surreal moment when emotional emptiness transforms into uncontrollable appetite. Inspired by the whimsical yet haunting motif in Alice in Wonderland, where food whispers commands like Eat Me, this piece reimagines binge eating as a symbolic response to anxiety, loneliness, and societal pressure. For many young adults navigating early adulthood, expectations around success, credentials, performance, and identity accumulate quietly until they manifest as internal voids.
This work uses playful visual language like talking snacks, tear-salt, and broken-heart crisps to express how food can become both a source of temporary comfort and a mirror to deeper emotional distress. It invites viewers to consider: Have you ever felt full, yet completely empty? Through this lens, Eat Me is not simply about consumption, but about the invisible mental weight that leads us there.
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He ain't heavy he's my brother
Marie Connery
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Length (cm)
80x60cm
Width (cm)
80x60cm
Location
Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex
Medium
mIxed media on canvas
Selling Price
£600
This work is about my observations and discussions with my brother on his bipolar condition. The highs and lows of the condition switch like the tide. He is often very misunderstood, often this leads to isolation and long periods in his own company.
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marieconneryart @marieconneryart
Process of Grief
Carol Ertl
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Length (cm)
76x61
Width (cm)
76x61
Location
East Yorkshire
Medium
Oil
Selling Price
£200
Having lost our son eight years ago I consider grief to be akin to a mental health issue.
The loss of a child is overwhelming. It�s a tunnel that begins so dark and so disorienting that living life without your child is meaningless. So the process of grief begins� For me painting was my salvation. As time has passed I wanted to put my son in a painting that hints of him. My colour choice describes raw grief and pain that slowly dissipates to paler shades but never entirely leaves you.
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eastridingartists.org.uk Instagram
The mind is always free
David W Westwood
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Length (cm)
42 cm by 59.4 cm by 1 cm
Width (cm)
42 cm by 59.4 cm by 1 cm
Location
Birmingham
Medium
Created in mixed media, Air drying clay, fabric, metal, plastic, glitter, hologram card, metal leaf, oil paint and glass paint on A2 canvas board.
Selling Price
£350.00
As i am a person with mental health problems, I have been inspired by the freedom of my mind to travel and create, You can lock up the body but not the mind. My own mental health illness has been my worst enemy and very best friend.
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mallard-ip.com.
BDD
Melody Parsk
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Length (cm)
720x1600
Width (cm)
720x1600
Location
Leeds
Medium
Photography.
Selling Price
£50
This artwork is about my personal struggle with body dismorphia disorder. I always saw myself in a bad light, I absolutely felt sick when I saw myself in photographs I couldn't handle it and I would feel disgusting all day.
I took a picture in the mirror on holiday once for when I recovered I could see how i actually look and not what I perceive myself to look like. Now I have been through extensive therapy for this my mind is different I see myself in a better way. It's still a struggle but I don't hate it like I used to. It's like your mind is telling you, you are fat you don't look good then I would punish myself. So this dark cloud is the thoughts, my mind, my mental health hanging over my head constantly every minute of everyday.
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Melody parsk outside in M.parsk1989
Year of the Snake
Vanessa de Largie
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Length (cm)
30 x 40cms
Width (cm)
30 x 40cms
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Medium
acrylic
Selling Price
£150
I have endured numerous traumas including a violent rape, the overdose of my brother and the loss of my parents. This manifested into agoraphobia, depression and PTSD. In 2024, I decided to commit to 365 days of art therapy in the hope of healing my trauma. This acrylic painting is proof that art-making can save lives. Because it saved mine.
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An Empty Shell
Minna Chang
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Length (cm)
30x21cm
Width (cm)
30x21cm
Location
Medium
acrylic
Selling Price
£200
This painting is called "An Empty Shell," and powerfully conveys undertones of themes related to mental health through its stark imagery. The central figure of a faceless silhouette, with dark streaks running down its form, delineate the tears of mental pain and the draining of vitality. This visual metaphor speaks to the overwhelming nature of depression, anxiety, profound sadness and any other mental suffering, where one may feel stripped of their identity and emotional reserves. The cracks across the figure's chest, culminating in a gaping, dark void where the heart should be, is a poignant representation of emotional emptiness and brokenness. These symbolize the feelings of a hollow existence, a common symptom in severe mental health struggles where joy, connection, and purpose feel like lost entities. The cracks are deep and extend across the entire chest cavity, symbolising the depth of the physical and/or psychological wounds that often accompany the psychological suffering and brokenness. The overall monochromatic palette of greys and blacks further amplify the sense of despair, isolation, and absence of light or hope. The painting serves as a visceral depiction of the internal turmoil and profound sense of loss that can accompany mental health challenges.
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n/a
Silenced
Minna Chang
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Length (cm)
30x21cm
Width (cm)
30x21cm
Location
Medium
acrylic
Selling Price
£200
This artwork, called "Silenced", portrays the stigma that many people feel around mental health and the inability to voice one's pain and feelings openly. The person's mouth is stitched shut with thick red thread, a powerful and literal depiction of being unable to speak. This immediately brings to mind the societal stigma surrounding mental health issues, which often prevents individuals from openly discussing their struggles, or opening up about their experiences. Many people feel pressured to keep their mental health challenges hidden due to fear of judgment, discrimination, or misunderstanding, effectively "silencing" their pain. The person's wrinkled face and downward gaze convey a deep sense of grief, pain, exhaustion, and resignation. These expressions are consistent with the emotional toll of carrying unspoken burdens and enduring mental distress in isolation. The inability to express oneself can lead to increased feelings of loneliness, frustration, and a worsening of mental health conditions. The title "Silenced" reinforces this interpretation, highlighting the forced muteness that can occur when individuals feel their voices are not heard, valued, or safe to be expressed, especially around sensitive topics like mental health. It speaks to the profound impact of not being able to communicate one's pain, thoughts, or needs, which can hinder the path to seeking help and recovery. This artwork embodies the pain of mental illness, and the pain of not being able to talk about it, sometimes for an entire lifetime.
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n/a
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