Thomas Mathew

“At the start of 2022, I knew I wanted my Year 13 Design portfolio to be related to mental health in some way as it’s a topic that’s close to my heart. I created the man in this piece, a fictional musician I named Rube Kurkara, as a representation of something that has greatly helped my wellbeing over the years: music. Music is so powerful because even at the darkest of times it can bring hope. This power and hope is what I wanted to show in this specific piece as well as the whole of my Year 13 portfolio. In 2020, Bong Joon Ho - director of Parasite - said something in his Oscar’s acceptance speech that’s stuck with me: “The most personal is the most creative.” Since hearing that, I’ve taken more pride in telling my own stories through the work I create. With everything, from writing to design, I try to incorporate myself in some way. Rube was the result of weaving the struggles that I dealt with over the past couple of years and creating something new with it."