New York State of Mind

Mikarla Teague is a Meanjin/Brisbane-based artist and art therapist whose work explores themes of identity, grief, healing, and social justice. Informed by her lived experience with mental illness, she creates evocative mixed media works that highlight Queer narratives, neurodivergent perspectives, and the resilience found in vulnerability. 

For Mikarla, art is both a lifeline and a form of activism - offering visibility, gentleness, and solidarity to others moving through darkness. With each brushstroke, she transforms survival into beauty.

Check out Mikarla's website and Instagram.

I created 'New York State of Mind' as a chaotic love letter to resilience and rebellion. Influenced by graffiti, punk spirit, and the raw pulse of the city, this piece reflects my own battles with mental illness - disorder, colour, noise, and survival. It’s a riot of feeling; a fractured crown held high; a reminder that even in the mess, we rise. The madness is loud, but so is the hope.