Horsham Museum hosts mental health exhibition

An exhibition challenging stigmas about mental health opens for a private viewing at Horsham Museum this evening (Monday September 30).
JPCT 300913 S13391389x  Exhibition - Museum of the Mentally Interesting. Horsham Museum, Hurst Room, Tuesday 1st to Sat 19th October. Jon Potter and artist, Janina Karpinska -photo by Steve CobbJPCT 300913 S13391389x  Exhibition - Museum of the Mentally Interesting. Horsham Museum, Hurst Room, Tuesday 1st to Sat 19th October. Jon Potter and artist, Janina Karpinska -photo by Steve Cobb
JPCT 300913 S13391389x Exhibition - Museum of the Mentally Interesting. Horsham Museum, Hurst Room, Tuesday 1st to Sat 19th October. Jon Potter and artist, Janina Karpinska -photo by Steve Cobb

The ‘Museum of the Mentally Interesting’ features visual art, prose and poetry created by people suffering from mental illnesses.

Artist Janina Karpinska said: “It is about people who have had struggles and are trying to maintain mental health.

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“Everyone has got mental health and like any kind of health it can suffer - sometimes people can become overwhelmed by things.

“It is great, though double-edged, when celebrities confess to having their moments because everyone has it and we can learn so much from how other people have dealt with it. It can get out of whack scarily easily.”

The exhibition is organised by Shoreham-based charity Company Paradiso, who help those suffering from mental illness across Sussex.

A key artist and volunteer for the exhibition is Tony Bell, who has contributed an exhibit called Spiritual Emergency.

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He said: “It illustrates some of the things people turn to try to cope with transformation or move forward into a successful transformation.

“We try to illustrate the theme of transformation through our objects and exhibitions and try to make people think about what it means to them.”

The exhibition is open to the public in the museum’s Hurst Room from October 1 to October 19.

Company Paradiso director Jon Potter said: “The exhibition is a way of enabling people to tell their stories.

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“When they tell their story, it is often a case of understanding their life better and moving forward.

“I think that people who have gone through transformation have a lot to tell the rest of the community about the importance of breaking through and moving on.”

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