Painting passion drawn from obssession

Rotorua artist Kristian Lomath describes painting as a passion, but for a long time it was much more - it was an obsession.

"I was a bit like an alcoholic. Painting was all I had. I was prolific and was living on caffeine and Panadol out in the country. My people contact was zero," he said.

He did not realise it, but he was suffering from depression and had completely isolated himself from the rest of the world.

But now the 35-year-old painter wants to share his experiences of mental illness and recovery with the whole country with the help of a $6000 grant from the Mental Health Foundation.

Mr Lomath, of Rotorua's Art Expo Gallery, is one of five people to receive a grant through the foundation's Like Minds, Like Mine programme, aimed at reducing the stigma and discrimination often related to mental health issues. The money will be used to take his evolving artistic installation to various locations around New Zealand, including Rotorua, Auckland, Christchurch and Hamilton.

"It would be hard to beat the whole John Kirwan television thing for raising awareness but hopefully the public will get something out of it," he said.

Mr Lomath described the work as "pretty personal" and hopes to involve other artists with experience of mental illness.

The installation and venue arrangements will be completed in the next 12 months, but Rotorua residents can see the work-in-progress at his gallery and workspace beside Contours Gym in Eruera St and feedback has been positive so far.

Mr Lomath has already created six of the 12 panels he has planned, and these are hinged together allowing him to change the structure depending on the venue.

He enclosed himself in a hexagon of panels to paint and that sense of isolation is central to his experience of depression.

Living on a farm at Waikite and obsessed by his painting, he soon found there were no people in his life and he was completely isolated and not eating properly.

Two years ago, Mr Lomath finally sought help for the mental illness that had been with him all his life but which had not been diagnosed and had deteriorated in this isolated environment.

"I finally faced up to it and got some help," he said.

"There is now much more balance in my life and I have realised that people are pretty good to have around."

But it was a slow process. Mr Lomath spent 18 months at Bainbridge House and believes he was lucky to find people who recognised his illness and helped him feel "alive again".