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‘Gallery of Anxiety’: visualizing the angst of adulthood
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Ray Shabir. (JP/Josa Lukman)
T
he personal issues that come with the anxiety of transitioning into adulthood, coupled with the state of the world right now, makes becoming an adult as challenging as any point in history.
Anxiety, in an age when mental health is becoming increasingly less taboo to talk about, is a common theme of discussion, as it’s something many people can relate to.
However, in conservative Indonesia, normal conversations about anxiety, of course, are still rare, and this is what makes Public Feelings & Other Acts, a book written by writer Ray Shabir, feel so refreshing. Anxiety around topics like post-graduate blues, marriage and even existential crises is discussed in a way that connects deeply to today’s youths.
As a way to promote the best-selling debut book, which actually came out in September last year, Ray created the exhibition Gallery of Anxiety to further enhance his readers’ experience.
Open at the Kopimanyar cafe in Bintaro, South Tangerang, until June 23, the exhibition brings the visually-oriented book into a much more physical experience through original photographs, installations and a short film.
Ray described Public Feelings as something timely yet timeless and that it was written during a stressful time in his life.
