About exhibition

During each trimester, Deakin University presents Mind Matters – a week-long celebration of student wellbeing that invites us to pause and reflect on our own mental health. This exhibition showcases artworks by Deakin students submitted over the past six years to the ongoing Mind Matters online exhibition. Together, these works reflect personal journeys shaped by anxiety, depression, isolation, recovery and resilience.

Across a range of media, these works give form to experiences that are often difficult to articulate. Some artists describe feelings of being overwhelmed by external pressures, while others explore the dissonance between internal experience and outward appearance, where distress is not always visible to others. At the same time, the exhibition foregrounds art-making as a meaningful practice of care. For many contributors, creative work provides a way to process trauma, navigate periods of uncertainty, and make sense of complex emotions.

Mind Matters emphasises the multiplicity of student experience. These works form a collective reflection on mental health as both deeply personal and shared journeys, highlighting the role of creative expression in fostering understanding and connection.

Visit the online Mind Matters exhibit.