My name is Aedean Mitra, and I am a self-taught artist in Makati City. Through my practice, I channel the changing energies brewing within me caused by the episodes of my bipolar II disorder and my observations on the mysterious human experience and our interrelationship with the world into abstract paintings. My artworks are the physical manifestation of my inner being that seeks refuge from the ceaseless inner turmoils, the unrest, and the despair through creative self-expression and self-awareness.

 

This mental illness has been a double-edged sword thrust into me, enabling me to experience vividly both the highs and the lows of my humanity, becoming my greatest creative tool: major depressive episodes have made me dear friends with sorrow, while hypomanic episodes serve me endless ideas and objects of meditation from the inburst of thoughts. I now see darkness as my signal for work, and through surrendering myself to the fluctuations of my energies, emotions, and sleep, I've learned to turn my illness into strength to make inimitable paintings from the stories I am able to express and the emotions I am able to experience on a daily basis.

 

The infighting of my emotional states is reflected in the elements present in my work; through a synergism of contradicting elements, colors, theories, mediums, and tools, I make these works of art that are filled with movement and contrasting colors. Through the merging of painting, poetry, collage, and assemblage, etc., the work goes beyond painting and its conventions.

 

Through my work as an artist, I aim to spark a dialogue between myself and the audience as they come to recognize and reflect on their own inner states. In this way, the viewers complete the artwork, engaging in the wordless communication between beings—transcending language; this is abstract, and here lies my work and role in nature—a service to humanity.