News • 02 Aug 2022

A rainbow of self-portraits now on display at Open Minds, Indooroopilly

A series of unique self-portraits have been installed at the Open Minds office at Indooroopilly, bringing more than colour to its four walls.

A rainbow of self-portraits now on display at Open Minds, Indooroopilly

A series of unique self-portraits have been installed at the Open Minds office at Indooroopilly, bringing more than colour to its four walls.

Open Minds commissioned the portraits in partnership with Multicap’s Centre of Creative Arts (COCA). COCA is a program which provides people with disability the opportunity to develop their creative abilities and potential.

26 Multicap COCA artists from hubs throughout Queensland participated in the commission, transforming bland walls into a beautiful gallery of artwork.

The partnership began in February 2022 following a conversation between new colleagues from Open Minds and Multicap.

Multicap COCA Program Manager, Suzanne Misso said she is always keen to discuss potential projects for COCA customers and through a conversation with an Open Minds General Manager, she learned that Open Minds had a room which required a creative solution.

“We were keen to find a way to celebrate the partnership between Open Minds and Multicap,” Suzanne explains. “We decided a physical representation of this would be ideal, and from there the self-portrait commission was born.”

Open Minds Area Manager, Matt Lysaught, was pleased to witness the install of the self-portraits in July.

“While Open Minds and Multicap service different people with different needs, the common thread between our two organisations is our passion for supporting people,” says Matt.

 “Together we also understand that the journey through recovery or navigating life with a disability means that each day brings different feelings and emotions. What I love about these self-portraits is that you can clearly see this range of emotion, and they serve as beautiful reminders of this.”

Suzanne agrees that the works are introspective and organic reflections of how each artist was feeling on the day they took to their canvases.

“We held workshops with our customers to get them thinking about what makes them happy, what makes them sad, and what motivates them,” says Suzanne.

“To help the self-exploratory process, we spent time listening to music, sketching, and experimenting with different mediums like pencils and paper cut-outs. And even though our customers all followed the same initial practices, you can see they all produced unique artworks that show intrinsic parts of their personalities.

They also discussed and looked at the works of other artists, with a focus on artists living with mental illness.”

Everyone who enters our Indooroopilly office can now enjoy these vivid and authentic representations of life with a disability thanks to everyone who participated in the commission.

Besides its aesthetic benefits, art gives both the viewer and the artist the gift of improved mental health.

If you are interested in forming a partnership with COCA, please contact Multicap 1300 135 886.

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