Distorted Reflection – Fuchsia & Black | Markers on Paper (2023) Tekening door Nolan Trace

"A contemporary art-psychiatric work dealing with body-dysmorphic disorder (dysmorphophobia)
This illustration visualises the clinical manifestations of dysmorphophobia, a mental condition in which a person is pathologically fixated on imagined or minor flaws in their appearance.
In the centre is a young man looking into a broken mirror, reflecting not reality but a distorted image generated by fears and overvalued ideas. This is a metaphor for avoidant behaviour, a typical symptom of the disorder. A hand emerges from the mirror, pointing to an "ugly" nose, one of the most common objects of fixation in dysmorphophobia.
The two figures at the sides are images of society, with athletic bodies and judgemental gestures - embodying ideas of attitude: the patient's morbid conviction that others notice and judge his 'flaws'.
The young man's body is presented as disproportionate, pointed, "ridiculous", with exaggerated acne and deformed parts emphasising a distorted perception of himself. The image literally "smells bad". - through the visual elements conveying inner horror and self-loathing.
There is a tear on the cheek as a symbol of hypothymia (low mood) - one of the key signs of the depressive component in the structure of the dysmorphophobic syndrome.
Artistic and scientific significance:
The work is part of the author's art-psychiatric cycle ""Atlas of Madness"", in which mental disorders are interpreted through visual artistic metaphors. The work has not only an aesthetic but also an educational function - it contributes to the destigmatisation of mental disorders and to a deeper social understanding of conditions such as dysmorphophobia.
Quote from classic literature:
"'Sometimes it seemed to him that his very appearance was becoming hateful to him .... "He would look, tormented, at his face in the mirror... and was horrified to see more and more signs of disfigurement...'"
- Oscar Wilde, "The Portrait of Dorian Gray."
The illustration is created at the intersection of contemporary art and clinical psychiatry. It serves as a visual textbook of the emotional experience faced by people with dysmorphophobia. The work is able not only to attract the viewer's attention, but also to deepen public understanding of mental disorders, contributing to their destigmatisation.
The inclusion of a reference to classic literature (O. Wilde) links painful self-perception to historical and cultural contexts, emphasising the universality of the theme.

Materials: Touch Twin alcohol markers, Posca acrylic marker.
Basis: watercolour paper 100% cotton, cold pressed, density 300 g/m²
Technique: mixed technique (markers on paper)
Size: 25 × 25 cm
Decoration: without frame, without pasparte.
Originality: author's original work in a single copy.
Signature: author's signature on the front side
Year of creation: 2023
Style: conceptual surrealism / psychoart
Certificate: enclosed is a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist
Storage recommendations: store in a dry room protected from direct sunlight; it is recommended to place under glass with a UV filter.
Packaging and shipping: Packed in a hard cardboard envelope, wrapped in protective bubble wrap.

Verwante thema's

Body DysmorphiaBody Dysmorphic DisorderMental Illness ArtSurreal Psychology ArtArt Brut