Making the battle visible – Cardiff photographer to exhibit new work about mental health

Cardiff conceptual photographer, Suzie Larke, will exhibit work in progress from her latest project ‘Unseen’ at Penarth Pier Pavilion this September. The images are an inspired, new depiction of personal experiences of mental health struggles.

Suzie’s previous work transformed her personal experience of depression into images to promote a greater understanding of the experience of mental health struggles.

For her current project, she has invited other people into the same process – collaborating to help them express their own struggle as an image.

After putting a call for participants on social media, Suzie has been working with people who have experienced different kinds of struggles with mental health for the last 3 months. Her subjects are as varied as the images and include Eurovision star SuRie, stand up comedian Abi Roberts, and actress Rebecca Humphries.

“My subjects don’t have photographic experience. Each participant chose the overall concept and location and my skills as an artist and photographer, as well as my own experience of mental health difficulties, helped them to express their own struggle as an image. The stories behind these images are really varied and so the images themselves are really personal and powerful.“

The exhibition runs from 2^nd – 11^th September at Penarth Pier Pavilion, giving visitors a chance to see the work before the images are shown in a touring exhibition around the UK in 2020.

The ‘opening night’ event will take place on 6^th September from 7 – 10pm.

Suzie will be giving a talk about the project, sharing her process and the experience of working with her subjects.