“Dear Brother” is an introspective narrative project that addresses the internal battle associated with mental health struggles. I delve into the minds and philosophies of two characters, symbolizing two parts of one person. One character is cynical and nihilistic, the other is hopeful, an existentialist. What I perceive to be the contents of the mind and soul of each character is presented through photographs, paintings, and writing.
The project consists of two main parts: A book and exhibition. The book includes a large writing portion to convey the narrative more clearly. The contents of the book are chosen to resemble a journal of each character, which includes handwriting, sketches, etc.
The arrangement of the prints and the paintings make use of their rectangular shape and by stacking one on top of the other, creates the appearance of a person’s head. The abstractness of the figure is also a representation of the bodies of the characters in the narrative. The paintings represent the birth and death of intangible thoughts and consciousness. They are represented by
abstract sunrises and sunsets. The large borders make room for physical alteration which I did with paint, chalk pastels, and physical cutting and scraping. These altercations display emotional expression.
Matteo Forgione
(He/Him)
Matteo Forgione is an emerging artist from Toronto, Canada.
His artistic genre revolves around street photography. Matteo balances creating technically sound images while still experimenting within the preconceived notions of “street photography”. He draws inspiration for his projects from the discussion surrounding mental health in our world and philosophical themes about consciousness, reality and the human condition.