Fear. Mixed techniques on a black canvas 80 x 60 cm by Shaharee Vyaas (2023)

Fear is the fourth installation of a series of five #paintings I’ve made around a time that coincides with the yearly festival of #Halloween 2023. The frames contain some earlier reflections I had about the aftermath of the recent #pandemic. The stylistic concept deviates substantially from most of my other works, although parallels can be drawn with the works that feature in my series Art in the Dark.

The #COVID-19 pandemic is an important factor affecting the health of people worldwide, as well as a source of fear, stress, and anxiety. This painting explores the paths through which Covid-19 can impair health in two ways: through psychological distress, which is an automatic reaction to fear, and through a more conscious and deliberative rumination process.

During disease outbreaks, news of the first #deaths, increases in the number of new cases, and media misinformation can increase people’s fears, frustration, despair, and anxiety. In addition, uninfected individuals reported that they were afraid to be in contact with people infected with COVID-19. Fear of catching the COVID-19 virus can cause #irrational and ambiguous thoughts in individuals and adversely affect their quality of life. Witnessing family members or friends becoming infected can intensify the negative impact of that fear. Anxiety raised the risk of long COVID by 42%, depression by 32%, worry about COVID by 37%, perceived stress, 46%, and loneliness, 32%.