Daily Routines (2019)

Daily Routines invites viewers to examine depression through new perspectives. Each photo is composed of two separate parts. The right half of each photo captures “what will people do when the feeling of depression/anxiety strikes them?” by representing them in designed symbols with uniform colors. All photos, and the moments they capture, are based on real cases I have observed in my own life, while my closest friends experience most. For example, the case represented by the gray button originates from the closest buddy to me. He suffers from quite severe anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Once the anxiety attack occurs when he steps on the elevator, he repeatedly takes the elevator up and down the stairs countless times until anxiety caused by obsessive-compulsive disorder disappears. The photos on the left serve as my own self-portraits, which could be related to the body parts involved in the case on the right. My intention behind this body of work is to present the idea that there are things that everybody does, but deep down inside, there is something much stronger going on in the hearts of people who battle depression through these “daily routines.” This work is not only representative of my attitude towards people suffering from depression but also a gesture of support to my friends struggling with the weight of depression, OCD, and other mental diseases.