Austmarka is a small village in the south of Norway with 251 habitants. It extends northward the border with Sweden. Next to a beautiful forest, a dense fog covers the whole town in the morning. Täke, as norwegians call the fog, surrounds houses, lakes and the immense forest and makes it difficult to see for some hours.
From a personal experience, being a person with a mental health illness can make you feel exactly like this, foggy. Intrusive ideas, obscure ideas, flood your brain. You might try to push them away, but they might come back even stronger. I’ve carried depression for many years in my life, and I’ve taken medication ever since to get rid of this “fog” that crawls upon me. It always comes back hovering, making it impossible to see things clearly in my life. These images you see are exactly how depression looks and feels like to me. I feel a deep sense of emptiness, a void, and a colossal loneliness. No human contact, isolation, and hopelessness. But hopelessness is, in fact, important in life, it’s in the midst of being uncomfortable and afraid where all things meaningful emerge. Hopelessness and despair are important because without them, we wouldn’t know faith. Polarities are a necessary part of life. Being in this place was cathartic, it allowed me to explore these deep tormented parts of myself to make something relevant out of it.
In the ethereal embrace of Norwegian fog, my photography series becomes a visual narrative of the intangible emotions that often shroud the human experience – a contemplation on mental health and the enigmatic journey through depression.
As the mist envelops the landscapes, obscuring the familiar and accentuating the obscure, I capture these moments as a metaphor for the labyrinthine corridors of the mind. The interplay between the mist and the natural elements mirrors the intricate dance between one's thoughts and emotions, a dance that is often concealed from the world.
The muted tones and obscured forms within the fog-laden landscapes echo the inner struggles that accompany mental health challenges. The isolation and disconnect that fog can evoke parallel the isolation often felt by those grappling with depression. Yet, amidst the obscurity, a thread of hope emerges – a glimmer that speaks of the potential for clarity and healing, however distant it may seem.
Through this series, I invite viewers to explore the emotional depths that can be as impenetrable as the fog itself. By acknowledging the hidden battles, I aim to initiate conversations about mental health, removing the stigma around it.
Just as the fog eventually dissipates, replaced by clarity and renewed light, I hope this series serves as a reminder that even within the darkest moments, there exists the possibility of transformation and renewal. More and more people, especially the young, are becoming lonelier and mental health illnesses are on the rise all over the world; depression and anxiety, the diseases of our time. For me, it’s important to have honest, open conversations about mental health and its challenges on today’s society and future generations.
