r/bipolarart

contradiction

acrylic paint, cardboard, hot glue, and cropped pages pulled from the book of psalms and return of the bird tribes by ken carey

20" x 16"

2026

a year's worth of evolving states of mind, spirit, and being

it took me a year to finish this painting, and then some. i tend to take on emotions when trying to capture them on paper or canvas, so it was difficult for me to even look in this painting's general direction for a good while.

the self-portrait on the left is where i was mentally and physically for months at the beginning of 2025. the middle two figures represent the extremity of my moods, i was either in the clouds, talking to the moon like she was my godmother, or extremely irritable and raging with so much pressure that i left myself speechless and catatonic. the figure on the right is where i am now, a year later; healthier, for sure, but numb from it all.

originally, i was just going to paint the two books and their covers, but i thought it'd be more impactful if i actually tore out the pages that i defaced and confided in religiously while i was in the psych ward last year.

i finished this painting a few weeks ago, but i was hesitant to post it. it's definitely my most personal piece thus far regarding my episode, diagnosis, and the aftermath. i still haven't anywhere else. i thought you all would appreciate it and resonate with it more than anyone else.

thank you for reading if you did!

= M A U S =

contradiction [summer 2026] acrylic on canvas

Calmer

Back at it - in the upside-down.

Had a small burst of inspiration with a manic episode so I made this.

Egghead