Cover Social artist duo Hunny and Lummy comprises Quinn Lum (pictured left) and Hun Ming Kwang

Singapore, we need to have the talk (or several talks): the one about race, migrant workers, and even mental health. But ready or not, this younger generation of change-makers is taking on these social issues head-on. In the first of a five-part series, social artist duo Hunny and Lummy take on mental health

Whether as a CEO, an office worker, or a student, we all wear different “masks” every day. “We see the world for who we are. We put on different identities based on the roles, responsibilities, social groups, expectations imposed in us, that we lose touch with the core of who we are inside,” says Hun Ming Kwang, 28, one-half of social artist duo Hunny and Lummy.

Since March, the pair have been running mask-making workshops as part of their Masks of Singapore Movement. Integrating the traditional cultural heritage craft of mask-making, each workshop engaged with participants to help them reconnect with their inner selves and boost mental health and emotional wellness.

Such participatory work is at the heart of their artistic practice, where the role of an artist is one of a social healer. “Art is a powerful tool to facilitate healing. We want to help people connect with their emotions—and that is the important part of what we do,” shares Quinn Lum, 28, the other half of the artist duo.

See also: Coronavirus Tips: How To Take Care Of Your Physical And Mental Health During the Pandemic

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Above "ThisConnect: Threading Worlds"

Before Hunny and Lummy formed in 2018, Lum was a participant in Hun’s social artwork called Connection Without Sight. Two strangers, sitting back to back, would attempt to paint the essence of the other person on canvas. That is after getting through a set of guiding questions, which was actually designed to help each individual get in touch with their own emotions and instincts. The work resonated with Lum, a photography and digital imaging major, whose artistic practice explored identity, trauma and healing.

“A lot of the mental health issues are due to the difficult emotions we’ve never dealt with over time. We’ve been taught how to use our brains, but no one taught us how to feel. When we don’t know how to deal with difficult emotions, we tend to avoid them until it gets too overwhelming,” shares Hun, who is also a life coach and runs transformational programmes.

See also: CEOs and Mental Health: How to Support Wellbeing at the Top

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Above Masks of Singapore Movement
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It was the suicide of two of his friends that led to the launch of the ThisConnect.today platform, which seeks to raise awareness of mental health, emotional literacy and combat suicide rates through art and conscious conversation. “Mental health and wellness are more than just about the symptoms and labels. It’s about addressing the personal challenges we face in life that cause us to feel distressed. This requires us to unpack the complex problems we face; problems that are deeply intertwined with the societal and cultural norms, family upbringing and social environment we live in,” Hun explains.

Through the Masks of Singapore Movement, they hope to create 500 masks by this month in a world record attempt for the largest display of community-made hand-sculpted masks to raise global mental health awareness. The display will be part of their ThisConnect: What Am I, If I Am Not experiential art exhibition, held from September 10 to October 31, in conjunction with Suicide Prevention Awareness month in September and World Mental Health month in October.

See also: How to Support Our Youth as They Cope With Mental Health Struggles

 

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Above Every Seed Carries Within It The Dream And Blueprint Of The Whole, which is part of the public art installation Rewritten: The World Ahead of Us

“Art is a powerful tool to facilitate healing. We want to help people connect with their emotions”

- Quinn Lum -

Through films, photography, performances and installations, the exhibition explores the idea of confronting our true self and yet having the courage and love to accept oneself, and reclaiming one’s personal power to re-own our lives. Hunny and Lummy will also be publishing two books this year around mental health and emotional literacy.

Hun expounds, “Art should be inclusive for everyone. It shouldn’t just be for the artists themselves and an expression of the ego. It’s really about bringing people and communities together, where they can actually go deeper within themselves. And when we foster and cultivate this self-awareness, we can detect mental health issues or emotional wellness struggles early on.”

See also: Mental Health Check: How to Recognise Toxic Positivity

Credits

Photography  

Darren Gabriel Leow

Art Direction  

Matilda Au

Grooming  

Benedict Choo

Photographer's Assistant  

Daryl Eng Jun

Videography  

Daryl Eng Jun

Images  

Hunny and Lummy

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