Yellow Fog, Hamed Morovati
A vertically oriented abstract painting composed of dense, layered black forms occupying the central area of the surface. The black marks appear heavy and textured, with irregular edges and overlapping strokes that vary in opacity. Surrounding and partially embedded within the dark central mass are areas of yellow, ranging from muted ochre to brighter, acidic tones, applied in uneven washes and streaks. Smaller passages of white and pale grey break through the surface, creating contrast and fragmentation. The background is light but uneven, with visible brushwork and traces of previous layers. Linear elements and partial rectangular shapes appear intermittently, suggesting disrupted structure within the composition. The overall surface is highly worked, with evidence of scraping, layering, and repeated mark-making across the entire canvas.
Title: Yellow Fog
Artist: Hamed Morovati
Date: 2025
Medium/Materials: Mixed media
Dimensions: 76 cm x 152 cm
Form/Genre: Abstract
Key Terms/Subject/Tags: Depression; Anxiety; Embodiment; Cognitive fog; Art as witness
Artist Statement:
This work explores anxiety and depression as lived, ongoing conditions rather than episodic emotional states. The composition emerges through a layered, gestural process that emphasizes density, obstruction, and accumulation. Marks are repeatedly overworked, obscured, and partially erased, mirroring the cyclical nature of anxious thought and the difficulty of achieving clarity within depressive states.
The dominant black mass functions as both presence and pressure. It is not symbolic of a singular event, but of a persistent environment in which perception, cognition, and movement are constrained. The yellow tones operate as a particulate haze rather than illumination, evoking mental fog, sensory overload, and the constant interference that accompanies chronic anxiety. Rather than offering resolution or a focal point, the work resists visual coherence, reflecting how mental distress often defies clear articulation or clinical simplification.
Positioned within the context of Unsilenced Stories: Art as Witness in Health Research, this piece engages with themes of embodied mental states and the reclamation of lived experience beyond medicalized narratives. It bears witness to the invisibility of mental illness and the gap between internal experience and external recognition within healthcare systems. By prioritizing sensation, atmosphere, and fragmentation over representation, the work challenges viewers to confront mental health not as an abstract diagnosis, but as a sustained condition that shapes perception, identity, and daily life.
Cultural Context / Story Behind the Work:
Hamed Morovati considers this piece deeply personal–a reflection of his anxiety and depression. It portrays a mind that is always shrouded in fog, surrounded by darkness. It feels as though a yellow mist and dust constantly casts a shadow over life.
Rights for this Image:
This digital image is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. You are free to share it for non-commercial purposes, as long as you credit the artist.
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