Degree: Fine Art
University: Aberystwyth
Graduation Year: 2024
Saad Hussain is a multidisciplinary artist whose work profoundly explores themes of mental health, using his creative practice to destigmatize mental health issues and foster meaningful conversations. His art spans painting, drawing, and other media, each medium serving as a conduit for expressing his personal experiences with anxiety, depression, and dissociation.
The forest has many similarities to our mind. A peaceful place to reflect on our emotions and memories but wander too far and you may get lost. The mind works in many similar ways. A private space to think and understand your thoughts, emotions, and memories, but staying in there too long and the emotions may spiral out of control.
This series of mindscapes looks at dissociation and zoning out. It aims to understand where we go when we zone out or dissociate and takes inspiration from the artist's own experiences of dissociating caused by anxiety, depression, and childhood trauma. They give an inside look at the artist's mind and aim to make mental health issues relatable and understandable to everyone.
Hussain's work is characterised by its raw emotional intensity and its ability to convey the nuanced experiences of living with mental health challenges. By integrating various media, he creates immersive and thought-provoking pieces that invite viewers to engage with the subject matter on a profound level. His art not only serves as a personal catharsis but also as a powerful tool for social change, challenging societal perceptions and encouraging empathy and understanding.
In his practice, Hussain draws upon his own experiences, transforming them into compelling visual narratives that resonate with a wide audience. His commitment to addressing mental health through art underscores the vital role of creative expression in personal and collective healing. Through his work, Hussain aspires to contribute to a more compassionate and supportive society, where mental health is openly discussed and adequately addressed.
Saad Hussain is a multi-disciplinary artist who tackles themes surrounding his own mental health issues and uses his artworks as a form of personal therapy. His goal is to destigmatize mental health issues and start conversations surrounding these issues in hopes of bettering the mental health support system provided by the government.
(2024) Degree Show, Aberystwyth School of Art Museum and Galleries, Aberystwyth
(2023) January Show, Aberystwyth School of Art Museum and Galleries, Aberystwyth
(2023) The Takeover, Aberystwyth Art Centre, Aberystwyth