"My final body of work embodies the reality of living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which stemmed from personal relatability and fascination with the concept of constantly living in an obsessive-compulsive state of mind, unable to break away from disordered desires. Although recognition of the need to put mental health first, and seek professional attention, has improved within society, I believe that OCD is not recognised enough. Commonly repeated phrases “That’s so OCD” or “Everyone’s a bit OCD” should not be normalised. The reality of living with this detrimental mental health disorder is far worse than it is advertised on Social Media platforms, which only shed light on false realities and sickly romanticised scenarios. My first oil painting ‘Trapped’ visually depicts an image of a face being strangled by a rope. The painting aims to symbolically communicate the reality of feeling mentally trapped in emotional exhaustion."

Voting for the 2022 Credit Union SA Community Award is now closed.