Meet the Leader Hana Madness (a Bipolar Artist): Support People with Mental Disabilities through Colorful Paintings

Hana Madness, a Bipolar Artist.

“I decided to bring my colorful work to the city. The city is called the city of depression, every week, one person commits suicide," said Hana Alfikih or Hana Madness, a painter with bipolar who was preparing for an exhibition in Saint Helena, England.

She will show her paintings with artists from London later this year. The exhibition serves as a campaign of no discrimination against people with mental disabilities and invitation to accept and support them. 

This is not the first time Hana will bring her paintings to England for a campaign to support persons with mental disabilities. In 2016 she was also in London with the same purpose. She had also exhibitions in Germany (2018) and of course in Indonesia.

Together with British artists, Hana also made a video that raised the issue of shackling. She also became one of the initiators of the Boundary Free Festival held on 12-29 October 2018 at the National Gallery Building, Central Jakarta.

"I told the Director General of Culture, I had traveled all the way to London, sir. There must be something that can be done in Indonesia. Finally, Boundary Free Festival was conducted,“ she said, explaining the disability artists' festival, which was jointly initiated with one of the Indonesian Development Forum (IDF) partners, the British Council.

Hana's persistence in campaigning for support for people with mental disabilities arose from her own mental health. During high school, Hana was diagnosed to have bipolar disorder. This was only concluded after she endured years of psychiatric disorders. She was treated, but inaccurately.

“I was once so wrongly treated and my condition worsened. And it was because knowledge and information about mental health was barely available, not like what we have today," she explained.

Hana also experienced physical violence and sexual harassment.

"I really feel that various events have shaped me mentally until this moment," she added.

She admitted that she was often emotional, hysterical, self-injured, cried for days, and several times suicidal. Both Hana and her family found it difficult to accept the mental condition. They went through conflict after conflict, starting from the time Hana was still in junior high school.  Her study was in a mess.

As a result, Hana often felt lonely. Her most loyal 'friends' were her sketchbooks and drawing pens, which she carried with her everywhere, including to school.

"I used to bring a small bag to school with a sketchbook, drawing pens and fresh clothes inside, in case I don’t feel like going home," she said. 

At that time her family began to let Hana do whatever she wanted, because they could no longer control her. Away from home, Hana began to gather with artists who made her more immersed in art.

Persons with Disabilities Can Soar Up High

Hana began to admit about her mental condition in public, on a television talk show in 2012, entitled "They Say I'm Crazy". She was only 19 years old and the only female speaker then.

"I received tremendous appreciation. But I was very ashamed, because at that time the issue was still very gray,“ she said. 

Before the embarrassment even vanished, her family had started to confront her.

"Why did you show off something as shameful as that? What do you expect me (your mother) to say to your uncle? We are Javanese and my family is very conservative," said Hana, who then became someone who was scared to meet with relatives.

She added that due to her mental condition, her family was somewhat excluded by the extended family. However, Hana decided to continue her activities, painting and campaigning to support people with mental disabilities.

"Because to this day, I get lots of messages from people or families whose members are experiencing conditions like me who don't know what to do. Apparently, there are so many out there who can't speak out. I want to represent them,“ she added.

The distinctive characteristic of Hana's paintings is the colorful doodle art. Doodle Art is a style of drawing that looks abstract, but very unique and interesting. Hana often paints colorful monster-shaped works.

"People ask whether colorful monsters are related to mental health, I say yes, to transform what is inside me to be more colorful. They describe more clearly about cheerfulness, anger, fear," Hana said.

She got her first client after graduating from high school. Five of her works have been used for packages of matches, produced up to half a million units and sold throughout Indonesia.

"It was the first achievement that made me happy, though at the same time my mental condition was shaky," said Hana again in the Road to IDF 2019 program titled "Room E: The Future is Us: Women Also Have Opportunities" in Jakarta on June 22, 2019.

The "E" referred to in "Room E" means "Elevate, Equip, Evolve, Empower," as Hana has pointed out, is not only successful in career, but actively works to help fellow people with mental disabilities.

Initially painting was Hana's remedy: her way to let out and control emotions when her disorder attacked. But now painting become her profession.

"People used to look at me because of my disability, now they see me because of my work," she said. 

Now, big brands such as Converse fashion products and Good Day drinks have been paying attention to her work.

More than that, now Hana receives great support from her family to pursue art and take part in campaigns to support people with mental disabilities.

“I get along very well with my family now, more than what I could imagine," she said.

Through painting and various other activities, Hana now devotes herself to campaign against shackling people with mental disability. 

 

Let's Build a Support System

For people with mental disabilities, feeling accepted is important. According to Hana, from this acceptance, slowly support system will be formed. People around you can start with everyday conversations, like asking for news, or other light conversations. She said, it would make people with mental disabilities feel cared for and believe someone cared about them. 

"If someone says he/she wants to end their life, don't just say, ‘Don’t talk nonsense. Go and pray. Any prayer will do’ People who are suicidal can't think clearly. It's useless if you just say don’t,” she continued.

So, what can be done?

"People with mental disabilities just want to be heard, hugged," Hana answered.

When a person begins to lose his/her social function, as he/she starts to withdraw from his/her social environment, that person, according to Hana, should be advised to consider treatment. 

"That is a difficult phase because people with mental disabilities are often stigmatized. People tend to think that visiting a psychiatrist is shameful,“ she added.

Hana insists there is nothing wrong with people with mental disabilities, what is wrong is those who plant a stigma on them.

Road to IDF 2019 Room E: The Future is Us: "Women Also Have Opportunities" provides space to discuss mental health as a disability issue that is often hidden. Room E aims to create a cohesive and exciting event to support young women to improve their skills and support each other. This event presents inspirational women who have unique careers by showing potential job opportunities outside the traditional path to leadership and empowerment.

Watch the Hana Madness Meet the Leader video on YouTube IDF!