Hidden Threads of Blue, a space where art, dialogue, and collective care come together. 

Are You Feeling Blue?

Across Singapore, one in seven people will experience a mental health challenge in their lifetime. Yet more than three-quarters never seek professional help, creating a significant treatment gap. The quiet weight of stigma and the difficulty of recognizing early signs often delay people from reaching out for support.

But we can start now. By acknowledging our struggles and reaching out for help, we take an important step toward courage, care, and connection. Through creative expression and empathetic dialogue, we hope to bring these hidden “blues” to light.

Lead by cyanotype artist Merissa Tee, the exhibition is a collaboration between lecturers and students, developed over several months through the collection of over 100 anonymous personal stories via our online portal and survey. These entries have been transformed into a tapestry of empathy that continues to grow throughout the exhibition.

At the heart of our project is cyanotype printmaking, a photographic process that harnesses sunlight to translate shadows into blue and white imprints. The process traces memory, while the colour blue captures a wide spectrum of emotions — from sorrow and melancholy to comfort and hope.

Hidden Threads of Blue is designed to be a safe space where visitors are not merely spectators but active participants. Through knotting, sewing, and cyanotype workshops, you can experience the therapeutic qualities that encourage deeper connection with yourself and with others.

We hope you will find comfort in connection, strength in vulnerability, and resilience amid the silence. Weave your mark, your story, and your care into a stronger community, one simple blue thread at a time.

This project is supported by Collab Grant, Teaching and Learning Centre, NAFA, Singapore.

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Website & Online Portal: www.hiddenthreadsofblue.com