Unflinching Photos Of A Photographer’s…
Struggle With Self Harm

 Zhe Chen’s powerful and confrontational photographic series “The Bearable” spans 2007 to 2010 in her life, and is very, very personal – her own journey down the road of self harm. My words could never explain the pain and depression she feels that inspires her to do what she does. So I think it’s best if you hear from Zhe Chen herself about why she created this photo essay, entitled “The Bearable”:

I hope my photographs inquire upon society’s prejudice and preconception towards this community, and not become illustrations or pictorial evidence for the topic at hand: every subject is an individual, not just ‘one of them’ – his or her life cannot be predicted or dictated by any constructed social code or notion. Depression plants the seed of introspection. The bees take it in; They reason it, embrace it and explore it, forming an isolated universe in their own minds. These self-sustained universes contain every reason that explains the ‘abnormality’ that no one who lacks in common experiences could decode. I hope a first glance of my work conveys the idea of secrecy and sentiments, under which lies information awaiting exposure and recognition: like an index page pointing towards all the unanswered questions.’ (Source)

The Bearable:

via Beautiful Decay