
Leah Johnston’s installation, Will This Pass?, invites the audience into an intimate, immersive space modelled on her personal place of comfort. By encouraging viewers to take a seat and pause within the environment she has constructed, Johnston offers a moment of stillness that reflects the emotional and psychological themes at the heart of the work.
The installation delves into Johnston’s ongoing experience with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a severe and often debilitating condition that intensifies symptoms of anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation. Through a carefully curated arrangement of furniture, soft materials, and visual artworks, Johnston communicates both the cyclical nature of this disorder and its disruptive impact on daily life.
Each element in the space acts as both a form of personal documentation and a means of expression—conveying moments of vulnerability, reflection, and questioning. The work raises an overarching, deeply human concern: how long will this phase last, and will it pass? The title itself embodies the uncertainty and exhaustion that can accompany chronic mental health struggles, while the installation as a whole becomes a physical manifestation of a private yet universally resonant emotional state.
In combining autobiographical narrative with sensory experience, Will This Pass? serves not only as an exploration of Johnston’s inner world, but also as an invitation for empathy and shared reflection on the often invisible aspects of mental health.