Nicole C Melillo

A series of portraits representing each individual through the eyes of their "monsters," showing how despite being such a universal topic, mental illness is so specific to each individual.

 

Photographer Nicole Melillo created a safe space when working with each subject to discuss their relationship with mental illness, then designed their monster based on their experiences.

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In the same style of the short film, each monster design is scratched into the portrait's film negative to represent how mental illness is not a defining characteristic of a person, rather a part of their whole.