Stress Awareness Month: How this Egyptian artist fights DEPRESSION with these evocative paintings
Excessive stress may lead to depression. During Stress Awareness Month (April), indianexpress.com speaks to Egypt-based artist Sief Hamza, who fought chronic depression using art. Evocative and unsettling, his paintings have created quite a buzz on social media.
Every year, April is observed as Stress Awareness Month, during which time people work towards increasing awareness around all the negative factors that lead to and cause stress, as well as the various ways on how to tackle them. At times, excessive stress could also lead to depression. Identifying this aspect, Egypt-based artist Sief Hamza, who was under chronic depression and was fighting hard to conquer it, came up with the idea of using his passion - art - to convey his state of mind. The resulting paintings are moving, evocative and unsettling. Here's a look at some of his work, and read on to know how he worked through his depression.
About a year and a half ago, Hamza was suffering from depression. That's when he fell in love with painting, making it a comfortable way for him to fight all the darkness that he felt was present around him.
It all started with random strokes, says Hamza. "I used to scribble whenever I was mad at someone or something. Initially, I started writing my feeling which eventually led to drawing random strokes all over the paper", he explained to indianexpress.com.
"As I was getting hooked on drawing, I realised how this could help me portray my true feelings. So, I started learning simple shapes and painting lessons through YouTube as I am not professionally trained in art and painting", he said.
"Expressing my feelings through my paintings helped me get over depression and overcome sadness".
"Especially when is started sharing my pictures on social media people felt what I wanted to say through my art", said the artist.
Hamza added that Netizens encouraged him a lot. "They appreciated my art and asked me to continue doing what I did. They made me realise that I was not worthless."
"My art helped me to get in touch with the world that was unknown to me and also pushed me to conquer over dark energies", he explained.
Talking to others and listening their narrations inspired Hamza for new painting ideas.
"I often used to talk to people on social media and also discuss things that they always wanted to say but couldn't put down in words", he said.
"It also motivated me to be a better person. I felt like a warrior who can win every challenge" he said.
Hamza posts his pictures on Facebook and is often seen talking to people who comment on his pictures.
