In Why Am I Sad?

An exploration of the complex interplay between mental health and artistic expression.

＂Growing up I spent most of my time in my room, wherein loneliness pervaded both within and beyond its walls. Family failed to provide solace; instead, it became a source of stress, anxiety, and a prevailing sadness. Often unspoken in my family, my mother’s battle with clinical depression cast a shadow that took years to fully comprehend.＂

Through navigating her own emotions, the project assumes a broader cultural significance, transcending personal narratives to engage with universal discourse on mental health. The visual diary created through photography becomes a testament to the transformative power of art, revealing layers of vulnerability, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of meaning. It underscores the importance of acknowledging mental health challenges within social contexts and highlights the role of artistic expression as a vehicle for healing and understanding.

Dana Stirling is a fine art photographer and the Co-Founder & Editor of Float Photo Magazine since its establishment in 2014. Originally from Jerusalem, Israel, she is currently based in Queens, New York. She earned her MFA in Photography, Video, and Related Media from The School Of Visual Arts in 2016, following her earlier BA in Photographic Communications from Hadassah College Jerusalem in 2013.

Dana Stirling’s work has been prominently featured in group exhibitions in the United Stated and globally, including reputable venues such as Candela Books + Gallery, Panopticon Gallery, William Paterson University, Lafayette College, Fresh Paint Art Festival, Bezalel Gallery, Inga Gallery, Tel Hai Museum of Photography, Brick Lane Gallery, and Saatchi Gallery and others. Her photography has gained recognition in various publications, including Buzzfeed, C41 Magazine, Humble Arts Foundation, Musée Magazine, One Twelve Magazine, She Shoots Film Magazine, FishEye Paris, European Photography Magazine, The Week Photo Blog, Feature Shoot, Hyperallergic, PetaPixel, It’s Nice That, Fast Co. Design, Lensculture, Der Grief Magazine, Lenscratch, The Telegraph Newspaper, and Israel Ha’yom Newspaper. Stirling’s impact extends beyond exhibitions and publications, with her hand-made artist book ＂Dear Artist, We Regret To Tell You＂ now residing in distinguished library collections including Yale University, Mass Art College of Art and Design, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Goldsmith University, London.

Recognized for her artistic achievements, Dana Stirling has received notable awards, including the Shutter Hub YEARBOOK Award (2021), NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow Finalist in Photography from The New York Foundation for the Arts (2019), Gross Foundation-Grant for Excellency in photography (2013), and Google Photography Prize, Final Ten at Saatchi Gallery (2012).