Psycure, a mental health-based startup, organized a week-long mental health awareness art exhibit at the EMK Center to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day and Mental Health Day.
Globally, people commemorate this day every year to show their commitment to the cause and inspire others to take action. The exhibition was inaugurated on September 15 and ends today.
Organizers initially announced an open call for mental health-related artwork and photography, receiving around 1,000 submissions in the photography, digital art, and painting categories. Of these, 30 of the best works of art were selected for physical display.
Aside from that, the best submissions from each category are made available to viewers in a virtual showcase. The campaign has been supported by the EMK Center, Youth Co-Lab, One Denim, The Business Standard and Forthord.
Murad Ansary founded Psycure in 2019, as a comprehensive digital platform that offers comprehensive services for mental health and wellness, and also works to destigmatize mental health care.
Psycure primarily advocates for the cause by raising awareness through campaigns, programs and training sessions, while also providing professional help and support. “This is the second edition of our flagship event, where we use art to raise awareness of mental health. We don’t restrict participants to a particular medium, and simply encourage them to share a small message through their work. It could be a mental health condition or a glimpse of the healing process,” Murad Ansary shared.
The judging panel included Morshed Mishu, cartoonist and installation artist; Syed Zakir, Chief Photographer, Prothom Alo; Md Sadit Uz Zaman, founder of Teabag Stories and popular artist Priti Ali. A total prize of BDT 45,000 was awarded for the best artwork.
Winners and runners-up received cash prizes, along with shields and certificates. Winners include Shohag Kumar Mishro in the painting category, Aminul Islam in the photography category, and Debadrita Peu in the digital art category. The runners-up in the three categories were Saima Sara, Romana Akhtar and Aongmaching Chak (Chompa), respectively.
All the works of art in the exhibition are unique in their own way, giving visitors a memorable experience. Shohag’s painting revolves around the unconventional theme of expected gender roles.
On another note, Saima attempted to portray the effects of bottling up emotions. Aminul, through her photography, explored how childhood experiences vary between communities. Romana, for her part, decided to raise the trauma of gender violence that prevails in homes. As for the illustrations, Debadrita emphasized the problems of women by highlighting the male gaze, while Chompa presented the wild side of human existence.
The exhibition will close today at 6:00 p.m. The third season of “Unwind Mind” will be released in December this year.
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