His 'Last Suppers' Have Included Fancy Meals, Burger King

Since Joseph Awuah-Darko's notice on Instagram in December that he plans on undergoing a medically assisted suicide due to the pain of his bipolar disorder, the Ghanaian artist has launched his "Last Supper Project," accepting invitations from strangers from all over the world to dine with them before his demise. The 28-year-old has since enjoyed 150-plus "final" meals, ranging from home-cooked repasts to Burger King to
fancy restaurants. In his deep dive into Awuah-Darko for the New York Times, David Segal notes it's not quite clear what the painter's reasons are for doing this—"a piece of performance art? Unconventional psychiatric treatment? A long goodbye, with catering?"—but he has since evolved into an "assisted-death influencer" of sorts, earning more than half a million Instagram followers who root for him and say they're inspired by his openness.

Not everyone is a fan of Awuah-Darko's goodbye tour. Mental health pros are "appalled," concerned that others with bipolar will give up on life, while others suspect this may be a grift or scam. Some experts also say it's unlikely Awuah-Darko will even be approved for euthanasia in the Netherlands, where he's trying to set it up. "Any doctor here would look online and reject his case. He's having too much fun," says one Dutch health ethics professor. Awuah-Darko, however, believes in his mission. "I think of myself as a kind of barefoot anthropologist," he says. "I love that I can sit in discomfort with people and talk about really, really difficult things." More here, including details on Awuah-Darko's wealthy upbringing—and on what may have finally changed his mind on dying after all. (If you're having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.)