Persona, noun, the aspect of someone's character that is presented to or perceived by others. Synonyms: image, face, public face, character, personality, identity, and self. I have often found that people struggling with depression and anxiety have more than one persona. One happy and care free, the other lonely and depressed. My exhibition focuses on those dual personalities and feelings that an individual with depression and anxiety may or may not express. I hope that through this exhibition, others will become more aware of mental health issues and how they ay affect others. I want to try and show exactly what its like to have these mental issues and from a first hand experience and the stigma that comes with being diagnosed. I want people to understand that these perfectly happy persona we often create are just that... Personas. The eight portrait pieces represent the dualities shared by people who may suffer from depression. The portraits create sets of two; the left portrays the depressed persona that an individual possess while the right portrays their everyday happy person. The masks represent the stigma that is placed on an individual with mental health issues. Painted between the portraits subjects is a safe space that one would create to find piece and function as an individual. The two center pieces are representative of how an individual can try and cope with their symptoms to live in a functional way. The pills help suppress the feelings and urges brought on my depression but are also a symbol of how having to be medicated to live a normal and healthy life can be taxing on the person who suffers from depression. The photo of the cat portrays the feeling of being needed by someone or something other than yourself. It symbolizes the need for a supportive community and how the stigma prevents many from seeking that help. Lastly, the video of the young man shifting through emotions represents the temperament of depressive and anxious episodes and is aimed at making the viewer uncomfortable or anxious.