Young carers expressing themselves through art

Published Jul 31 2023

A collaboration between Merri Health Carer Services, VISIBLE and Headspace!

For Young Carers, the intricate balance between supporting loved ones facing mental, physical ill-health or disability while navigating the complexities of growing up has its challenges.

In this pair of emotive illustrations, artist Ziggy Grana conveys the Young Carers shared lived experiences, shedding light on the contrast of responsibility and identity and emphasising the crucial pursuit of rest and joy.

This expression is a collaboration with Carer Gateway’s first advisory group consisting exclusively of young people, all who have personal experience supporting loved, close and/or lost ones with mental, physical ill-health and/or disability.

Young carers play a vital role in society that often goes unnoticed and this expression encompasses their diverse commitments and roles, with each advocate's story interwoven into the artwork.

It celebrates their identities, where their caring role is intertwined with their passions, choices and feelings of self. Sharing their perspectives and reflecting on how their journeys have shaped them as individuals, young carers emphasise that their caring roles and responsibilities defy a single definition.

The artwork showcases the challenges of navigating the demands of being a carer to a loved-one, whilst simultaneously exploring their identities as young people and individuals.  

“Being a young carer has shaped me into the person I am today and I wouldn’t change it”.

This project was part of VISIBLE – Pairing young people with artists to shine a light on their experiences of mental health challenges. Visible is a project co-designed and delivered by Australian Youth Advocates for Mental Health supported by Headspace National. You can find out more about the project on the website: https://visible.org.au/

Artist Bio:

ZIGGY GRANA

Ziggy Grana is a multidisciplinary queer artist and interior architect. His playful and nostalgic art style comes from how he navigated life as a transgender child, unknowingly, by compartmentalising imagined safe spaces and scenarios. His art always circles back to community, using a form of storytelling to help link others together. These connections and experiences are highly valued and are translated into his practice.