Fighting Stigma: The Mask

Freddy Murphy

Beyond the Blues

Starting this project, I knew I wanted to make a ceramic piece that would represent the way in which we approach addressing mental health on a daily basis. The mask above rests between two cards that say "OFF" and "ON." It is a straightforward picture, yet it says a lot about how we tend to deal with our mental health, concealing and disclosing parts of ourselves as the situation dictates.

Masks have never been irrelevant to human culture. From ritual ceremonies to theater, they enable humans to become something else, to conceal themselves, or to act out feelings they would typically not express. In this discussion, masks represent the gap between what we present to the world and what we actually feel. The ceramic mask I created depicts this dual nature. The face is flat, a virtual blank, but the eyes burn with possibility, as if waiting for light to switch on or off. The fact that there is a difference between the "OFF" and "ON" settings implies that individuals living with mental illness are being pushed continually to switch between authenticity and hiding. When the mask is "ON," we act to be in an idealized reality: peaceful and in control. When it's "OFF," we are less afraid to be absolutely ourselves. The issue is not that individuals present masks, but why they feel they need to. 

Unfortunately, society still harbors a profound stigma surrounding mental health. To this effect, individuals are pressured to go about their days wearing the ma

sk "ON," smiling or blank as they fight internal troubles. The more conscious we are of it, the more we can resist the necessity of masks in the first place. To combat stigma is to work toward a world where a person can show their "OFF" state without fear, a world where mental wellness is an actively acknowledged part of the human experience. 

The intention of this work, and of this project overall, is to demonstrate that ceramics can be more than pieces of clay; rather, through masks, bowls, or other abstract shapes, ceramics can be a catalyst for conversation. By discussing this mask within the context of mental health, I hope to encourage not just considerations of stigma but also of the bravery that it takes to be oneself. Combatting stigma takes both cultural transformation and individual courage. It involves changing what we do when a person tells us they are struggling, from judgment to compassion. Lastly, my ceramic mask is more than a face. It is a reminder that each person around us is carrying something invisible, and that the masks we see are only the surface of a much larger reality. If we can create a world where the "OFF" state is not feared or concealed, then someday the necessity for masks altogether will cease to exist.