As the years go by, I believe the mental health of students in Korea is declining at an alarming rate. With the unbearable stress that pressures these students, this causes students to feel trapped or unsafe in school-related environments. But since this is so normalized and stigmatized in Korea, the probability of youth seeking for help or mental aid is extremely low. In this piece, I have captured the life of a student with my own perspective: on a chess board. Surrounding the student running in the front, which is a depiction of me, are multiple people dressed up as chess figures. The chess figures are a part of the sickening game that I’m stuck in, and are all playing a part of my stressful school life and studies. Surrounding the figures are flying pieces of papers, notebooks, ink, a desk, and more, depicting my school supplies and further representing the chaos of the piece. In the background, there are two hands reaching out, signifying the overwhelming presence of my studies and how I can never escape it (hence why I try to run away from them). Finally, there is a running clock that represents the lack of time I have to do all of my school work or studies, which further adds on to my deflating mental health and anxiety. Overall, I wanted to shed light on the life of a high school student in Korea and the demands that take over my life.
*Materials used: watercolor, acrylic, colored pencil, and oil pastel.
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