Often in mainstream media, sexual violence is depicted from the perspective of the harasser. Articles on sexual harassment are frequently accompanied by stock photos of a woman holding up her hands in resistance, almost as if inviting viewers to adopt the perspective of the harasser. POV: you are sexually assaulting someone. There is also a huge emphasis on resisting, it begs the question with survivors: ‘did I do enough to stop my assault? Was it my fault?’ When this is the only way sexual violence is visualised, this becomes the only truth. A unempathetic, guild-ridden truth.
So much is wrong with these one dimensional interpretations. I think a change of perspective is necessary.
This mural is a part of that change of perspective. I want to change to way sexual violence is depicted and make work that is empathetic to survivors, without guilt, but still showing the impact of it.