ART has often taken inspiration from other fields, showing ideas that science can measure but not always show. Babatunde Atolagbe’s recent photos sit at this crossroads, using portrait techniques to explore mental health with symbols instead of medical observation.

Atolagbe comes from a photojournalism background, not medicine, but his wide experience shapes his art. Years of photographing people and communities have made him sensitive to emotions, so he can explore psychological themes without pretending to be a scientist. His photos focus more on how we see things and how feelings can stay hidden behind what we show on the outside.

This idea is at the heart of ‘Beneath the Radiance’, now part of the group show ‘Art asa Response to Mental Health’ at the Chinwe Russell Art Gallery in Doncaster, UK. The portrait looks at the gap between how confident someone seems and the struggles they might hide, showing that emotional pain often doesn’t match what we see.

The subject appears calm and elegant. Her confident look, choice of clothes, and steady expression make her seem sure of herself, so it’s hard to guess there’s more beneath the surface. But Atolagbe adds a twist by using digital effects. Deep blue colors cover her skin and much of the picture, hinting at feelings like loneliness, anxiety, and depression, but without defining her only by those emotions.

The symbolism in the work is clear, maybe even on purpose. Some mental health experts might question using color as a simple sign for depression, saying that emotions are more complex. But this piece follows art traditions, not medical ones. Its goal isn’t to diagnose, but to make us think about the gap between how things look and how they really are.

‘Beneath the Radiance’ is made digitally and balances dark colors with the bright yellow of the sitter’s wax-print clothing. This contrast gives the portrait energy and a sense of culture. The glowing fabric keeps the painting from feeling too sad, while the blue shades make the figure stand out from the background, adding both emotional and visual tension. Whether people see the dark colors as a symbol of emotion or just a design choice, they give the portrait much of its impact.

Outside the exhibition, Atolagbe explores similar ideas in ‘Radiant Grace’. While it’s not officially part of a series, it seems to connect with ‘Beneath the Radiance’. This time, the mood changes. Gold tones take the place of blue, highlighting the strength, dignity, and endurance of African women. The colours suggest wealth, spiritual purity, and respect, focusing more on affirmation and strength than on hidden struggles.

READ ALSO: Who should pay for a date between a man and a woman?

Atolagbe’s background in photojournalism still influences his art. Even when he creates images digitally, he pays close attention to gestures, expressions, and the human touch, much like in documentary photography. Sometimes, his creative ideas compete with the basics of photography. Pieces like ‘Golden Pulse’ and ‘Surreal Pulse’ hint at a new path, where visual experiments are balanced with the directness and impact that make photography powerful.

The conversation started by ‘Art as a Response to Mental Health’ could go even further. Future shows might bring together artists, mental health professionals, and people with lived experience to share ideas. The goal wouldn’t be to prove art with science, but to find new ways for art and mental health to learn from each other. For Atolagbe, the key question isn’t whether photography can explain mental health, but whether it can help us notice what usually goes unseen.