Major General John P Cantwell AO

As Commander of the Australian Defence Force in the Middle East and Afghanistan, Major General John Cantwell AO encountered a lot of horrific experiences. In his book ‘Exit Wounds’, he recounts the horror of war and its affect on the people touched by it, particularly in reference to PTSD and mental health. This inspired me to approach him to be the next subject in my portraits of inspirational people dealing with mental health issues.

Follow

Edward Trost has over 30 years in the arts and entertainment industry producing all types of media, including animated feature films. Trost uses the Pyrographic ‘pokerwork’ technique to burn the subject’s likeness into plywood, breaking the portrait down into a collection of tones and individual burn marks. He selects his subjects from people whose inner strength has given them resilience in the face of mental health challenges. He hopes that by highlighting recognisable people actively working through depression, his art will help to correct misconceptions about this debilitating illness.