On November 5, the opening ceremony of the “Love, Food and Life” Eating Disorders Science and Art Exhibition was held at the cultural corridor on the first floor of the library at DHU Yan'an Road campus. This gallery tour is organized by the Eating Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Center of the Shanghai Mental Health Center and DHU's Mental Health Education and Counseling Center, with assistance from the Social Work Department of the Shanghai Mental Health Center and Donghua University Library. Curated by Zhao Zi He/M.W. and the Le Kang Hui Ai Volunteer Team, the exhibition continues the exploration of the theme Love, Food, and Life. Its aim is to enhance public awareness of eating disorders through the integration of science popularization and art, advocate for healthy lifestyles, and convey the values of love and life.
This exhibition represents a new attempt at integrating medical education within the university, stimulating students' interest in mental health and enhancing their understanding of psychological disorders, thereby expanding the concept of a healthy campus into a healthy community and society. This event not only serves as a vivid science popularization of mental health knowledge but also helps to improve societal prejudices against mental disorders and reduce the stigma associated with psychological distress, focusing on discussions of life issues through art.
(Exhibition works)
The exhibition features a rich and diverse array of works, including art therapy pieces created by inpatients at the Eating Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment Center of the Shanghai Mental Health Center, works by family members, submissions from artists who have experienced or are currently facing eating disorder-related issues, works by artists concerned with mental health, and collaborative creations from faculty and students at Donghua University.
These works showcase the inner world of individuals with eating disorders, serving not only as artistic expressions but also as authentic records of their struggles with the illness. The pieces reflect the complex emotions related to food, weight, and body image, as well as the emotional changes and psychological states experienced during treatment. Through artistic mediums, these works help the public understand and feel the world of eating disorders, prompting deep reflections on issues such as body anxiety, mental health, and the meaning of life.
(Volunteers leading the exhibition tour)
Under the guidance and explanation of volunteers, attendees entered the main space of the exhibition. A striking large interactive installation in blue and pink, titled The Guardian Beast of the Soul, became the focal point of the core area. Designed by Zhao Zi He, this installation involved contributions from the exhibiting artists, the Le Kang Hui Ai Volunteer Team, and DHU students. Next to the Little Monster installation, there was an Emotion Storage section where visitors could write down their emotions and thoughts on slips of paper, fold them, and place them into a capsule, symbolically storing their feelings and stories safely. On the last day of the exhibition, all the emotion capsules will be opened. This creative element not only added interactivity and fun to the exhibition but also served as a bridge for emotional communication, breaking down the boundaries between art and the audience, allowing everyone to become part of the exhibition and collectively create a memory about love, food, and life.
(Art therapy group activity)
After the tour, students engaged in a collaborative art creation activity themed My Relationship with My Body. Through various artistic forms such as collage, paper cutting, graffiti, and painting, they worked in groups on sub-themes like I, Universe, Hometown, and My Body, ultimately combining the four parts into a complete artwork that visually represents their understanding of the theme Love, Food, and Life. This piece will be displayed in a special area of the exhibition for all visitors to appreciate and reflect upon.
DHU's collaboration with the Shanghai Mental Health Center for this science popularization art exhibition tour has opened up an innovative approach to integrating medical education within the science popularization efforts related to mental illness and psychological health. By using methods that resonate more closely with the student community, it helps foster a psychologically friendly campus atmosphere. In recent years, DHU has continuously focused on exploring life education practices. The Love, Food, and Life art exhibition tour fully incorporates the characteristics of life education, integrating themes of emotional expression, self-exploration, and life dialogue, aiming to inspire public reflection on life issues through artistic influence and to develop a new approach for implementing life education practices.
