Embody

Portrait of a Head

Matters of the Chest

Womb

Abdomen

Where My Legs Take Me

Embody bridges biology and subjective experience in the way it represents the person. Thoughts and emotions are attached to body parts as in a scientific illustration, to reflect upon the way anatomy presents to us the 'truth' of 'the' human body, a universal ideal of perfect bio-chemical machine detached from the self. Embody in contrast represents the individual body, the self understood through the flesh, underlining subjective bodily experience and giving it value and meaning as a tool for self-awareness and wellbeing.

This five images (drawing, collage, etching and tracing paper) are a starting point for a project for the mental health research centre BRC Nucleus. They are inspired by recent mental health research that underlines the importance of emotional, spiritual and social factors in dealing with patients.

This project aims to place mental health within the person, encouraging an understanding of psychological disstress as concerning crucial human issues. The way we give meaning to ourselves, the way we experience through our bodies, how we relate to others and how we make sense of our surroundings.