Joana Choumali

This article was taken from a page on the hundredheroines.org website for academic research and reference purposes. I try to always take care regarding plagiarism.

Photographer: Joana Choumali

CA VA ALLER..

Artists that have a mental health focus, I find interesting as I have mental health problems myself. I find how they create their work and their purpose for creating their work particularly interesting.

As someone who identifies as someone with mental health problems and who is neurodiverse I would like to raise awareness as many people struggle with various mental health difficulties and many may not be able to understand their symptoms or find the help they need.

The artist Joana Choumali, takes photographs on her iPhone and prints them on to cotton canvas. Each work she create is a unique piece of art measuring 24cm x 24cm, hand embroidered with cotton, lurex and wool thread.

The artist says:

“The pictures were shot with my iphone, 3 weeks after the terrorrist attacks,”

an interesting point that the artist makes is that she:

“Choses to use my iphone instead of my DSLR camera to capture people discreetly. They don’ t know that they are photographed, so their attitude is natural. I took the pictures as if i was doing a scan of the city.”

She goes on to say:

“3 weeks after the attacks, the atmosphere of the little town changed. The sadness is everywhere. A “saudade”, some kind of melancholy invaded the town. Most of the pictures show empty places, and people by themselves, walking in the streets or just standing, sitting alone, lost in their thoughts. “ça va aller” means “it will be ok”. This typical ivorian expression is used for everything, even for situations that are not going to be ok.”

She describes:

“Bassam is my refuge, the place i go to unwind and to be by myself. A one hour drive from Abidjan, Bassam is a place full of history, a quiet and peaceful little town. Bassam reminds me of insouciance, all these childhood sunday afternoons i used to spend with my loved ones on this same beach where the attacks took place.”
To me, Bassam was a synonym of happiness, until that day.”

Regarding mental health issues she says:

“In Côte d’Ivoire, people do not discuss their psychological issues, or feelings. A post-traumatic state is often considered as weakness or a mental disease. People hardly talk about their feelings, and each conversation is quickly shortened by a resigned ” ça va aller”. This work is a way to address the way ivorian people deal with mental health.
The attacks re-opened the mental wounds left by the post electoral war of 2011.”

Another interesting point the artist makes:

“Each stitch was a way to recover, to lie down the emotions, the loneliness, and mixed feelings i felt. As an automatic scripture, the act of adding colorful stitches on the pictures has had a soothing effect on me, like a meditation. Embroidery was an act of hope, as well.”