A CONTEMPORARY artist from Braintree is featured in a new immersive art exhibition at a London art gallery.

Toby Brown is one of several artists to have his work on display in the Altered states of consciousness exhibition at the Copeland Gallery, London.

The exhibition wants to provide visitors with an opportunity to challenge their own perceptions of mental health and normality - providing them with a chance to appreciate what it feels like to hear voices, see visions and have other sensory experiences.

Produced by Pheobe Robert, the exhibition is a collaboration between a King's College professor, artist Rich Maskey, mental health campaigner Jonny Benjamin MBE, the Voice Collective and Debut Contemporary gallery.

Samir Ceric, curator of the exhibition and founder of the Debut Contemporary gallery, said: "Being able to 'use' art to engage, inspire, empower and raise awareness behind mental illness is both a privilege as well as a responsibility of professionals in this field as mental illness relates to us all.

"I truly believe that such projects can have a huge positive impact on those who are suffering with mental illness, the people around them and on society as a whole."

Mr Brown said: "I am very excited about my involvement with this exhibition.

"Suffering with paranoid schizophrenia myself I feel it is important to break down the stigmas attached to all mental health problems - the more we talk about it the weaker the walls become."

For more information visit: www.copelandpark.com.