Death, mental illness, gender identity – nothing is off limits for emerging photographer and visual artist Arjuna Asa.

Arjuna Asa considers himself a storyteller. Despite a plethora of different mediums he could have used to convey and deliver his stories, the 23-year-old photographer and visual artist has always preferred 2D visuals, through which he delivers his observations on his life and surroundings.

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In Arjuna's eyes, only 2D visuals, such as photographs, can generate that sense of a "poetic thrill".

"The way I see it, visual works are attractive in their ability to directly illustrate a story with various shades, shapes and tokens," Arjuna said on Jan. 13. "I personally find visual images easily recognizable. However, what makes them recognizable depends on the memories of what we have witnessed before."

Arjuna Asa's photography and visual creations tell stories about life's harsher realities that are either overlooked or misunderstood. From mental illness and grief to gender identity, the photographer frequently uses his camera to see the unseen.

Visualizing 'burden'

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