The H8 Ball
(Readymade, 2020)
The Stuff Of Nightmares
The H8 (hate) ball is another nightmarish readymade that probes at the thoughts one might encounter when experiencing suicidal ideation triggered by mental health challenges such as depression. At first glance, it functions like a regular 8 ball – you shake it, flip it, and the answer is revealed. With the H8 ball, the answers revealed through the dark ink are parallel to the thoughts one might experience when faced with suicidal ideation and depression. The readymade is also indicative of how complex it can be to see people’s inner struggles based on the exterior appearance.
By creating such a confronting piece, the artist hopes that we can recognise and acknowledge that these challenging thoughts may stem from more than just a bad day. The artist hopes that if the viewer can connect with the thoughts materialised in the H8 ball, perhaps they themselves may be suffering from mental challenges.
There’s something to be said about the action required to get rid of the nasty message displayed in the H8 Ball. Merely shaking the ball will not cause the message to change; you are required to flip the ball entirely, shake it again and flip it back up (Not available to do digitally). The action required to change the message alludes to the affirmative action one must make in order to change our mode of thinking.