The exhibition No Light focuses on four oil paintings about mental health awareness. These paintings depict isolated people that are in various stages of depression. Exhibiting scenes from lying in a body of water, standing in the middle of nature, separated from the rest of the world to being lost in an abyss. Displaying cold, muted shades of greens, blues, grays, and desaturated reds helps emphasize the emotions associated with depression.

Creating art for me has always been an escape from the pain and hopelessness I would constantly battle with every day. Diagnosed with severe depression at a young age, I've dealt a significant part of my life with this disorder. Initially, I didn't know how to deal with this feeling. I went from acting like I was happy in front of others to struggling with substance abuse. I did everything possibly wrong to be able to get out of the darkness I was trapped in. So I never wanted to incorporate this pain into my paintings for a long time. I only wanted to create beautiful landscapes. Beautiful places I could imagine in my mind instead of the dark, dreary thoughts that would consume me regularly. After recovering from this mental disorder, I can now look back and feel I'm able to express this pain. I'm able to express and show others what I went through. Show the part of me that people weren't able to see.

Living with depression can feel like you are trapped in a world without color, isolated from everyone else. This is because the passion you once had for the things you loved is now gone. You feel alone, and life seems to be draining from you, becoming numb to the outside world. It would begin to feel like you are lost in misery, looking for who you are in this world, desperate to find purpose in your life. Things can get so horrible that you contemplate letting go of your life. Suspended in the water, you live in the in-between, trying to choose what is best for you, thinking it would do a service to everyone to disappear. Trying to decide if fighting and rising above the darkness is worth it. Through it all, you try to focus on what's essential in your life. You try to think about the good things in your life, trying to hold on for dear life, hoping it can save you. This turmoil is storming through your mind, and everyone around you doesn't notice because, around others, you keep this fake happy face. For a moment, your mind is taken away from the pain, but once you return home, you're alone again with the dark thoughts that torture you. 

For those that never experienced any form of depression, I hope this can serve as an insight into someone who does. Hopefully, helping people understand what it's like for someone with this mental disorder. Unfortunately, these paintings don't discuss the signs to look out for. Still, it can hopefully help people who have friends or loved ones suffering from depression better understand what they are experiencing. Anyone currently suffering from depression, I hope this helps them feel like they're not alone. Help them feel that their emotions are valid and there are others out there that understand their pain.

Eric Lopez, September 2022.