Marlin - by Chris Roberts

Cairns artist and selectability recipient Chris Roberts has spent the last few years rediscovering a passion he never expected would return.

Through colour, detail and hidden layers, his artwork has become a powerful outlet for creativity and connection.

One of his most meaningful pieces is Marlin, originally created for his son-in-law who is a keen fisherman.

Marlin is a vibrant artwork featuring three hidden marlin woven into layers of colour, linework and movement. Chris says the piece, like most of his art, began as a challenge he set for himself.

“I started off with drawing two marlin and then tried to lose them,” he said.

“There are actually three in there. One is easy to see, but the other two are hidden.

“I like the distraction of it.”

His love for this particular type of art began during his time at the local clinic, where he joined a class that quickly ignited something within him.

“I really got a fire in the belly,” he said.

“My brain started firing and I did rapid-fire drawings for about six months, one after the other. The flow of ideas was incredible. I didn’t have to think.

Above all else, Chris’ story behind his artwork; once a quiet personal outlet; is now his message of lived experience of bipolar disorder.

“I think it is worth mentioning if people know someone has a mental illness, they mustn’t judge a book by its cover.

“There are degrees of these things… very few mental illnesses are 100 percent incapacitating 100 percent of the time.

“If anything, it shows that having a mental health disorder does not stop someone from creating art or even completing an honours degree, like I did.

Marlin was one of the first pieces Chris completed after returning home from care. It represented a shift from impulsive, free-form drawing to more focused work.

“When I had a purpose after receiving the support I needed, the drawings became more deliberate.

“Marlin probably took about 16 hours to finish.

At one point, he recalls the care he and his talent received from support coordinator and recovery coach Emma.

Throughout this time Chris amassed a collection of artworks, organised in chronological order in binders.

These pieces act as an autobiography of this period in his life, with each picture holding a story connected to a person; whether it be a friend, family member or nurse; allowing him to connect with and share joy with others during what was otherwise a tumultuous time.

Following a house fire, Chris was fortunate that ‘Emma and another support worker helped me re-sleeve the pieces,’ and ‘a lot of them came out pretty unscathed.’”

“selectability has been really good to me,” he said.

“Getting out and doing things was important. I had great support workers and some of those things are still continuing today.

“It just got me out of the house and doing things in the community.”

Recently, with encouragement from his previous support coordinator, Charissa, to submit his work for a selectability project, Chris’ goal of exhibiting his art was ignited again after experiencing the joy of sharing his work with others.

This renewed confidence encouraged him to join a local group exhibition.

‘Marlin’ is not just an important feature - it is also a celebration of creativity, community and the positive journeys of the people we care for.