Created for The Art of Care gallery by Planned Parenthood. This portrait tells the story of a survivor whose experiences with sexual violence began in childhood and continued through early adulthood. For years and years, denial became a means of survival, allowing her to bury what had happened and “keep moving forward”. Quietly triggered into an unexpected unraveling of her story; a stranger grabbed her breast without her consent during a night out with her girls. What many dismiss as "just groping" unleashed years of silence, unlocking memories she had spent a lifetime suppressing. That assault became the catalyst for telling her truth, seeking healing, and reclaiming ownership of her story. This portrait is an act of defiance against shame and a declaration that her body belongs only to her. She hopes other survivors recognize that being groped without consent is still sexual assault, and still “that serious”. She says, “that kind of touch sent the same exact feeling across my body that full-on coercion did”. It is not dramatic to call sexual assault by what it is, nor is it an overreaction to acknowledge its lasting impact. Every violation of bodily autonomy matters, every survivor deserves to be believed, and healing begins the moment we allow ourselves to speak the truth. AND it helps to be as dramatic about it as we want to.
Click here to view the digital gallery, and click here to read more about this campaign.
Created for The Art of Care gallery by Planned Parenthood. This portrait tells the story of a survivor whose experiences with sexual violence began in childhood and continued through early adulthood. For years and years, denial became a means of survival, allowing her to bury what had happened and “keep moving forward”. Quietly triggered into an unexpected unraveling of her story; a stranger grabbed her breast without her consent during a night out with her girls. What many dismiss as "just groping" unleashed years of silence, unlocking memories she had spent a lifetime suppressing. That assault became the catalyst for telling her truth, seeking healing, and reclaiming ownership of her story. This portrait is an act of defiance against shame and a declaration that her body belongs only to her. She hopes other survivors recognize that being groped without consent is still sexual assault, and still “that serious”. She says, “that kind of touch sent the same exact feeling across my body that full-on coercion did”. It is not dramatic to call sexual assault by what it is, nor is it an overreaction to acknowledge its lasting impact. Every violation of bodily autonomy matters, every survivor deserves to be believed, and healing begins the moment we allow ourselves to speak the truth. AND it helps to be as dramatic about it as we want to.
Click here to view the digital gallery, and click here to read more about this campaign.
