Study on Empathy I & II, Acrylic Paint on Canvas
This is a “study” in the sense that I attempt to evoke empathy in the viewer and demonstrate its neural causes simultaneously. I based my paintings on photojournalistic images of refugees - a modern problem thats very close to my heart. I believe the world needs more empathy when it comes to the refugee crisis, it is absolutely necessary to care for them more, on an individual and institutional level.
By painted their pained expressions and adding disheveled hair and glassy eyes, I’m doing my best to elicit empathy. The white brain-flowers with spine-stems and pinkish activation spots show brain activation though to be associated with feeling empathy. If the viewers feel empathy, then there is a mirror effect - viewers feel empathy and at the same time they are shown their brain activation for that specific emotion.
Understanding the neural correlates of empathy is a beautiful thing... to see parts of our brain that respond to human suffering with compassion and pain of our own. If only this was enough to make us more empathetic and compassionate towards others. Perhaps talking about empathy is a good first step.
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