The images in this gallery are paintings made with instant coffee powder that has been diluted in water and then put to the page. The technique was initiated by an Iraqi detainee who had some knowledge of art and who liked to paint in his free time. Upon entering detention, he had no access to paints so he reached for whatever was at hand, in this case finding an alternative use for instant coffee. He then taught the technique to Alwy Fadhel, who became its chief exponent. Coffee painting has gained a life of its own inside the Villawood Detention Centre and is now something of a tradition (a young Afghan asylum seekers has also begun to use the technique after Alwy’s example). The recourse to food as an artistic medium speaks to the ingenuity of detainees who have limited access to adequate materials and tools.
Alwy Fadhel was detained for over 5 years. His works evoke the psychological hardships that detainees commonly face, including homesickness, anxiety, depression, and the trauma of witnessing other detainees commit acts of self-harm and suicide.
The prolonged lengths of time spent waiting upon the outcome of their cases, in a state of virtual incarceration, and under constant fear for the safety of family members left behind exacts an awful toll on the mental health of detained asylum seekers. This is noted by mental health workers, who decry the exceedingly high rates of chronic depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other psychological illnesses found amongst asylum seekers in detention. They include the mental health expert and 2010 Australian of the Year, Professor Patrick McGorry, who described detention centres as ‘factories for mental illness’.
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