Faculty of Design

Material Art & Design

Yuting Zhou

ID

Based on my journey with bipolar disorder and Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theories and personal introspection, a plaster mannequin adorned with an inflatable dress overlaid with wire constructs represents the turmoil of bipolar disorder. The air serves as a conduit between and a controller of the inflatable dress and the wire structure, influencing the visual tension in the dress. In psychology, just as our ego mediates between our inner and outer self, it strives to adjust the wild impulsion of our inner self but, at the same time, faces the authoritarian demand that our superego holds. This artwork serves as a metaphor for my ongoing struggle to find equilibrium in the chaos of mental illness, aiming to deepen understanding and empathy for those affected by bipolar disorder.