Nina Hilger

• The following paper deals with the topic of borderline personality disorder and its emotional world in connection with art. The terms of Personality, Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder are defined, and the different criteria and emotional states of BPD are analysed and presented with the help of personal experience and perspective. Furthermore, this thesis deals with the question of how emotions can be visualised in art. Therefore, art therapy is introduced to examine to which extent art and therapy are interrelated and mutually supportive. A concrete example of emotional expression in art is given with the artist Jesse Draxler who expresses misophonia in his works. A second example is furthermore specified by the personal processing of emotions in art in addition to abstract, expressionistic works of art created by the author. The thesis then focuses on the personal experience of BPD and explains in detail what BPD can feel like to a person affected by it. Concrete examples are given to broaden the understanding. The aim of this thesis is to visualise the emotional states of BPD by means of a clothing collection to find out if the process of visualisation and expression can benefit a mentally ill person. The design process is based on the previously elaborated criteria and characteristics of BPD and visualisations are supported by abstract expressionist paintings made by the author. A complete collection concept including colour scheme and materials used, outfit designs in the form of sketches and technical drawings as well as any other design element will be developed within this paper.