“Inward Gaze” , is at heart an exploration of social anxiety which consists in a photographic montage series. Since pandemic, the number of people struggling with social anxiety has increased with 26%, due to several phenomenas such as government-enforced quarantine and lockdowns, work and school closures, physical distancing, and avoidance of non- essential social interactions. Enforced social avoidance deprives socially anxious people of a major source of well-being. Definitions differ in that the condition is diagnosed as a phobia, a mental health distress and/or moments of unease and apprehension.
In this project, I aim to capture the experiences of close friends and family who constantly grapple with this condition. My methodology, combining portraits, a range of diverse landscapes - encompassing both urban and rural settings - and overlaying imagery that enables an experimental style that seeks to generate a visual language continually evolving. This language serves to accentuate the profound sense of separation of individuals with social anxiety that they often experience in the world and public spaces.
By sharing these intimate stories, I believe new pathways for dialogues can be forged, more connections and empathy, and ultimately contribute to dismantling the stigma surrounding mental health conditions.