SELECTED ARTIST TSOKU MAELA

The series Abstract Peaces was not so much a structured body of work, but rather an outlet for him to deal with his mental health condition. The series chronicles the struggles that the artist experienced through a collection of surreal portraits. The work gives the view a visual representation of the various stages the artist went through on his way to recovery. There is a strong use of metaphoric visual language, which can be seen through the incorporation of props such as rose, books and paint brush. I resonate with because during the peak of my struggle with depression , there was this strongsense of desperation for something or someone to dig me out of the hole. In A Brief Reminder of Solitu-de (2016), one can sense the desperation to be free from the shackles of mental illness. It can be said that the rose in the frame is symbolic of love and that he is suggesting that love is all he needs to help him deal with his struggles with depression.

The title also suggests that it is not easy to feel loved and supported when you are isolated. In Auxin (2016), Maela is seen holding onto the stem of a rose, while the petals lay on the bed. This suggests that he can feel the thorns of rose, but not see the petals. When one is depressed, it is difficult for them to see beauty amidst the pain they would be going through. What I find most compelling about the works is the fact there is an element of intimacy and the allowing of access to the self, which I assume is the perfect way to capture the audience

( https://gupmagazine.com/portfolios/abstract-peaces/).