/men/tal

At the time, I didn’t realize I was depressed. I had friends, family, a roof over my head, even hobbies! But when I layed in bed, I drowned in a sea of thoughts, reaching out for hours, but motivation couldn’t find me. Nearly 80% of all suicides are men. Men are 3-4 times more likely to kill themselves than women. Why? Is it nature that pushes us to be strong? Is it nurture that teaches us to be silent? No matter how strong the dam is, enough pressure will break it. My series /men/tal focuses on illustrating men’s mental health by using black/white photography and the elements of water. Each model is an important male figure in my life. It was imperative that I depicted different perspectives of water in each photo, much like how depression takes different forms in each person. My goal is to continue this series, and to continue the conversation that so many men are scared to have.