ELEVEN talented artists will hold an exhibition in Alfred Cove to raise funds for the new not-for-profit OCD WA.
Creating Connections will feature paintings and ceramics from a diverse range of local artists including Alison Gomes, Leon Holmes, Peta Zeller and Julie Excell.
OCD WA was founded in 2023 by Dr Leigh Sheppard, after she was diagnosed with the condition aged 33 and felt isolated because of the lack of evidence-based support in WA.
The Murdoch-based GP says a lot of people don’t regard OCD as a proper condition and view it as a personality tic or quirk.
• OCD WA founder Dr Leigh Sheppard
“There is stigma. The true experience of OCD is not well known,” Dr Sheppard says.
“When I required time off work due to disabling symptoms, my colleagues didn’t acknowledge the significance of my illness, nor did those around me.
“For example, to attend reformer pilates classes (which I love) I felt compelled to clean the reformer prior to and during classes, and felt extreme disgust for the 45 minutes I used the machine due to OCD.
“Members in my classes were supportive, but still often made light of it – ‘I bet your house is really clean’ or ‘I’ve got lots of things you’d enjoy cleaning’ were frequent comments made.
“What they didn’t know was I was living my own private hell, showering over eight times a day and burnt out by simply trying to function.”
• A young Julie Excell, who is exhibiting works (below) at Creating Connections to help raise funds for OCD WA.
Dr Sheppard says ‘contamination OCD” is misrepresented in the media, and education is vital to reduce stigma, raise awareness and improve the lives of people living with the condition.
“While I do have contamination OCD, I also experience other subtypes that aren’t as well known, some of which are not socially acceptable,” she says.
“This most certainly limited my ability to share my internal experience, particularly as a doctor due to the shame associated with this.
“…A take-home for everyone reading this would be understanding the distinction between a preference for organisation versus experiencing OCD – ‘if it feels good, it’s not OCD’.”
Artists exhibiting at Creating Connections include East Fremantle’s Julie Excell, who makes unique objects from clay using a painstaking pinch-and-coil technique.
“The pots that you will see in this exhibition are the culmination of my recent experiments into playing with fire,” she told the Herald. “…I choose to use the saggar firing technique as it encourages the development of subtle, muted colour effects derived from the burning of combustibles that permeate the unglazed clay surface.
“Furthermore, the viewer may respond directly to the unique tactile qualities of the clay and to notice how surface integrates with form. The other works on show are a series of three tall, flared forms that albeit fired conventionally in an electric kiln, were equally subject to serendipity during the ceramic change process.”
Creating Connections is at Atwell Gallery, 586 Canning Highway in Alfred Cove from March 15-24.