ARTIST: FAITH KUNGWALO
COUNTRY: MALAWI
MATERIALS USED: PENCIL, WATERCOLOUR and PEN
The Coronavirus has had people confined in their home with really restricted movements. People are to observe social distance which leads to very little or no socialisation.
When people are confined to their homes or quarantine centres, they are alone and away from all the affection they share with friends and family. This creates room for the people to think hard about the virus, whether or not will they survive it making them start to worry about the same.
This has to lead to stress and depression due to the virus and also the alone times the people usually have. Due to the virus, social activities have also been banned. Social activities are the main solution to stress and depression. When people come together they laugh, hug and encourage each other but Coronavirus will not let people do that because it might just spread. So the absence of other people in the most difficult times is really depressing.
People that have recovered from the COVID-19 are as well facing difficulties such as stereotype and discrimination. This is because society is not convinced that they really have recovered, they think they still have it and they might give it to them. This is also disturbing to those that have recovered. They feel rejected and neglected which is really stressful.
The coming in of the Coronavirus has made people divert most of their attention from other issues of life to the COVID-19. Making the population of people that might be negatively affected by the other issues arise.
The abstract art above explains how the Corona Virus has affected society and life as a whole. The use of dark and sad colours to represent the melancholy the Covid-19 has caused to people. It shows a human being; which is the being that the virus has directly affected negatively. It shows a person, confined in a room, alone and depressed which is represented by human figures inside the mouth. The person, screaming and shedding tears which is mostly a way people express stress, worries and desperate requests. Wanting help and comfort which they are not able to get due to the restrictions such as social distance which have been put in place to contain the spread of the virus.
It also shows a tear which has turned into hands struggling to open up a closed space. This is to symbolise the need for people to break loose and go back to the free life they used to have. Also to symbolise the great work doctors and scientists are doing to at least find the vaccine for this Covid-19 so that life can get back to normal, and people should break free from the bondage of the Covid-19 which is represented by the explosion and human figures that are now free and can go back to live their lives as they used to; a free and unfettered life.
COVID-19 has greatly affected people negatively. It has brought with it difficulties that have altered the way of life.
