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Distorted Reflection – Fuchsia & Black | Markers on Paper (2023) Drawing by Nolan Trace
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This illustration visualises the clinical manifestations of dysmorphophobia, a mental condition in which a person is pathologically fixated on imagined or minor flaws in their appearance.
In the centre is a young man looking into a broken mirror, reflecting not reality but a distorted image generated by fears and overvalued ideas. This is a metaphor for avoidant behaviour, a typical symptom of the disorder. A hand emerges from the mirror, pointing to an "ugly" nose, one of the most common objects of fixation in dysmorphophobia.
The two figures at the sides are images of society, with athletic bodies and judgemental gestures - embodying ideas of attitude: the patient's morbid conviction that others notice and judge his 'flaws'.
The young man's body is presented as disproportionate, pointed, "ridiculous", with exaggerated acne and deformed parts emphasising a distorted perception of himself. The image literally "smells bad". - through the visual elements conveying inner horror and self-loathing.
There is a tear on the cheek as a symbol of hypothymia (low mood) - one of the key signs of the depressive component in the structure of the dysmorphophobic syndrome.
Artistic and scientific significance:
The work is part of the author's art-psychiatric cycle ""Atlas of Madness"", in which mental disorders are interpreted through visual artistic metaphors. The work has not only an aesthetic but also an educational function - it contributes to the destigmatisation of mental disorders and to a deeper social understanding of conditions such as dysmorphophobia.
Quote from classic literature:
"'Sometimes it seemed to him that his very appearance was becoming hateful to him .... "He would look, tormented, at his face in the mirror... and was horrified to see more and more signs of disfigurement...'" - Oscar Wilde, "The Portrait of Dorian Gray."
The illustration is created at the intersection of contemporary art and clinical psychiatry. It serves as a visual textbook of the emotional experience faced by people with dysmorphophobia. The work is able not only to attract the viewer's attention, but also to deepen public understanding of mental disorders, contributing to their destigmatisation.
The inclusion of a reference to classic literature (O. Wilde) links painful self-perception to historical and cultural contexts, emphasising the universality of the theme.
Materials: Touch Twin alcohol markers, Posca acrylic marker.
Basis: watercolour paper 100% cotton, cold pressed, density 300 g/m²
Technique: mixed technique (markers on paper)
Size: 25 × 25 cm
Decoration: without frame, without pasparte.
Originality: author's original work in a single copy.
Signature: author's signature on the front side
Year of creation: 2023
Style: conceptual surrealism / psychoart
Certificate: enclosed is a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist
Storage recommendations: store in a dry room protected from direct sunlight; it is recommended to place under glass with a UV filter.
Packaging and shipping: Packed in a hard cardboard envelope, wrapped in protective bubble wrap.
Related themes
Nolan Trace is a practicing psychiatrist and self-taught artist living in Moscow, a man on the border of two worlds: clinical accuracy and creative madness. His journey is a story of how rational knowledge and intuitive sense of reality can co-exist, nourish and enhance each other.
Since childhood he has been drawing - freely, vividly, knowing no boundaries. But instead of an art academy, he chose a medical university. There was no compromise in this decision, only a thirst for a deeper understanding of man, to penetrate into the most secret corners of his mind. So Nolan became a psychiatrist - a doctor who can not only listen, but also see the invisible.
In 2018, he began creating unusual illustrations: visual images of mental disorders. This is not just art - it is an anatomy of the invisible, an attempt to give form and colour to suffering that is elusive to the eye but real to the point of pain. Each work is a symbiosis of scientific rigour and artistic embodiment, each line and spot of colour has its own meaning and is ed by the doctor's knowledge and experience of empathy.
He finalised his technique in 2023: bright alcohol markers, velvety watercolour paper, and - most importantly - a clear intention. His illustrations do not attempt to beautify reality - on the contrary, they are scary, harsh, disturbing. But this is the truth of psychiatric pathology, which he shows unvarnished, with respect for those who live with it or treat it.
Nolan says: psychiatry is not just a science, it is the art of empathy. His work is an invitation to face what is commonly kept silent. And there is no dark fantasy or desire to shock in these images. This is the language he uses to speak to society: "Look. Feel. Understand."
Each piece is created entirely by hand using alcohol markers and paper, requiring around 10 hours of concentrated work.
About the price: The price reflects the time, labour and professional expertise behind each piece. As a practising psychiatrist, the artist translates complex mental states into visual form. Each image draws on clinical knowledge and emotional depth as part of the Atlas of Madness series, a project aimed at destigmatising mental illness through art. Included are not only the materials and handwork, but also the years of experience invested in each piece.The artist plans to expand the project with exhibitions, high quality prints and publications. One day he will compile his illustrations into a book. It will be called Atlas of Madness. And it will be not just an album, but a map of the uncharted territories of the human soul.
- Nationality: RUSSIA
- Date of birth : 1991
- Artistic domains:
- Groups: Russian Contemporary Artists
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