Jekyll and Hyde
Asha B.
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I created this art piece as part of a school assignment on the novel Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Students were responsible for diagnosing Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde with a mental disorder, and I diagnosed him with DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) and BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder). I then conducted extensive research into each of these conditions, and looked at a series of artworks created by patients with BPD and DID, as I did not want to misrepresent a community I am not a part of. Based on my findings I decided to create a mask out of paper mache, plaster, and pater because I felt that it represented an identity, or the facade of an identity. I then painted the mask and applied modge podge to one side. I chose to jaggedly and messily split the face into a black and white section, because I felt it showed not only the fragmented alters that correspond to DID, but also the duality of Jekyll and Hyde. I then chose colors that I felt would represent extreme emotions that come from BPD on one side and red spiked to symbolize anger on the other, which I felt would provide a stark contrast. I painted the colors in free hand rather than uniform shapes because I felt it better represented the messiness of human emotions (especially for someone with these disorders) and the complexity of the human psyche in general.
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Finding creative ways to express my feelings, inner thoughts, and understandings of the world has always been a crucial part of my identity and contributions to my community. To me, art is not only a way to share who I am, but also a way for me to fight against injustice I see in the world.
