Medals to Madness

2025
alcohol markers, paint markers, pencils, spray paint and paper
59.4 x 42 cm

Sometimes the hardest war is losing the people you love while losing yourself. Medals to Madness is a self-portrait expressing the ongoing effects of losing control of the mind and emotions, and a reminder that military service is not always rewarding — it can be deeply damaging, leaving invisible scars, fractured relationships, and profound isolation.

Using a whimsical cartoon style, I work with markers, colored pencils, and paint on paper to contrast the themes of trauma and PTSD. The work combines realistic and surreal elements to symbolise the visible and hidden effects of military service. Skulls represent the loss of loved ones, while a fractured head reflects a mind strained by ever-expanding monsters of memory and anxiety. Vines, jars, and a cosmic landscape illustrate the tension between destruction and resilience, chaos and imagination.

Through this work, I aim to show the struggle between outward appearance and internal experience — the bravery, vulnerability, and stubborn creativity that persist even when the mind feels lost. Medals to Madness is confession and tribute, acknowledging the battles fought long after service ends.