Like many young people, Ollie O’Neill felt overwhelmed by the pressures of school, life online and the challenges he was facing personally.
But rather than shying away from those emotions, the 18-year-old from Aveley used them as inspiration to create an intricate mixed-media artwork.
Titled “Inside the Mind of an Overwhelmed Undiagnosed Attention Deficient Chronically Online Chronically Ill Wildly Immature Adult (I Could Never Be a Minimalist),” the painting reflects how life’s pressures, illness, and online life can pile up in the mind.
It also incorporates augmented reality, allowing visitors to scan a QR code and see an animation layered over the painting.
The piece is now a standout feature in The West Australian Pulse 2026 exhibition at The Art Gallery of WA, one of only 63 works selected from more than 300 student entries.
Ollie said the deliberately chaotic title reflects the feeling of being trapped by overlapping versions of himself, with the work exploring cycles of anxiety, hopelessness, inertia and fleeting motivation.
He wants his creation to shine a light on the struggles young people face, the ones others often do not see.
“I hope people can see that young people can struggle just as much and have just as much going on,” O’Neill said.
“I want people to get a glimpse into what the inner world of someone like me can be like — just a ‘weird kid’ who people might not think is old enough to have gone through proper life struggles.”
But despite its heavier themes, the work is filled with sarcasm, jokes and memes, reflecting his natural tendency to make light of his challenges.
A major influence behind O’Neill’s work was American artist Victoria Vincent, known online as Vewn, whose surreal animations, internet imagery, dialogue bubbles and bold use of colour helped shape his creative vision.
Inspired by this approach, he said he deliberately moved away from realism and instead embraced a more cartoon-like style that felt authentic to him.
“I knew I didn’t want to do realism, that’s not where my strengths are. I wanted to lean into a cartoony style because it was an artwork I’d actually enjoy creating,” O’Neill said.
“I’d done some little sketches of myself and my room, and I thought, ‘Oh, hey, this is fun, this is an artwork I’d actually enjoy creating.’ That’s what I had to do.”
The Duncraig Senior High School graduate, now studying a Bachelor of Creative Arts at Curtin University, said he also wanted to inspire other young artists by showing art does not have to fit into a traditional mould.
“I hope young artists can see my painting and realise art doesn’t have to be a hyper-realistic portrait to belong in a gallery,”O’Neill added.
“Jokes, cartoons, technology and music can be in a gallery too.”
The West Australian Pulse 2026 is at The Art Gallery of WA until September 13, with visitors encouraged to vote for their favourite work in The West Australian Pulse 2026 People’s Choice Award.
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