Tsoku Maela on Masculinity and Mental Health
- Artlune
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 8
"I never planned to be a photographer—photography found me. When my mental health struggles forced me to leave my studies in molecular biology, I turned to writing, then photography. It became the only way I could express what I was feeling inside and make it visible to the world." - Tsoku Maela
Best known for his self-portrait series Abstract Peaces, Tsoku Maela uses photography as a form of healing. His images break down what it feels like to live with mental illness and challenge the silence and stigma around it, especially in Black and African communities.
This same spirit fuels Fragile Strength, a year-long, research-based community art project of Artlune that began in August 2024. Centered on male mental health across the Global South, particularly among South Asian, trans, and gay men, Fragile Strength began with one powerful question:
Why is it so difficult for men, especially from marginalised communities, to express vulnerability?
Tsoku Maela, a visual artist and conceptual photographer from South Africa, uses his work to question rigid ideas of manhood. His art encourages men and boys to reflect on their own beliefs about masculinity. Through poetic and layered imagery, he portrays men in moments of transformation facing pain, naming it and turning it into something honest and powerful.
When asked why these conversations are so hard, Tsoku Maela puts it simply: “People stay silent because they’re afraid—afraid of being seen differently, of being judged. No one wants to be the first to say, I’m not okay.”
Challenging stigma in Black and African diasporic communities
As Maela has spoken about, mental illness is often misunderstood or dismissed in African communities, seen as “not affecting black people,” or brushed off with comments like “lighten up”. His work breaks that silence, presenting depression not as weakness but as a part of human experience.
Healing through connection and conversation
Once Abstract Peaces went public, Maela received messages from people around the world, many from African diasporic communities, sharing their struggles. That collective outpouring validated his emotions and showed how art can spark dialogue and create shared spaces of understanding.
Maela’s work and Fragile Strength
Maela may not have all the answers, but his work reminds us that starting the conversation matters. Through his deeply personal art born from his own experience with depression and anxiety, he invites us to look inward, question the roles we’ve been taught to play, and rethink what strength means.
At its core, Fragile Strength conveys the same message: vulnerability is not a sign of weakness. It’s a way forward. By blending creativity, research, and lived experience, both Maela’s work and this project open the door for honest dialogue about masculinity, mental health, and healing.
And sometimes, that first step is simply saying, 'You're not alone.'
Artlune is more than a gallery; it's a movement to showcase the vibrant voices of emerging and mid-career artists from South Asia.
For more information, contact us at admin@artlune.com or call +91 9899187125 (India), +44 743 693 3096 (UK)
