The Survivor Mural Project

This is a participatory art awareness project drawing on a website to connect geographically disparate women and men who have shared similar experiences and to enable them to speak out in a creative way. "We all hear about the violence that is occurring in the world every day, but it's easy to become desensitized to what it really means. Raw statistical data often feels abstract because the numbers are incomprehensible and overwhelming."

The instructions read, "If you are a survivor of sexual violence, we need your voice! Each individual mural piece represents a life that has been affected by sexual violence. Regardless of how detailed or simple your piece is, it will help to make a powerful visual statement to the global community." A survivor's mural piece can be anything that symbolises an aspect of his or her healing process or has meaning for that person. Paper, cardboard, and fabric surfaces may be used (must be two-dimensional), with any form of drawing, painting, photography, poetry, or prose (even a single word). It presents an opportunity for all survivors, regardless of their art experiences, to be creative as part of a collaborative effort.

Click here to access the online gallery. Click here for updates through the project blog.

Sexual Violence.

The project's founder says she "wanted to find a way to reach out to all survivors, regardless of where they're from, and what level of access they have to support, and demonstrate that they are really not alone....I envision the mural project to be a powerful visual representation of the vast numbers of people who have experienced any form of sexual assault in our global community."