Repulsive Embrace

This large woodblock print explores themes of sexual assault and trauma, as well as the societal stigma that accompanies it. The piece is comprised of visual metaphors implemented to tell a story. Due to the poor infrastructures put in place to help and support assault and rape victims, many people, especially women who have survived such heinous acts, develop a poor/beaten down sense of self, intense feelings of shame and guilt, and develop mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)/complex (C)-PTSD. Many of these women receive little to no help from their state or government, resulting in an even greater deal of sorrow and humiliation. We must uplift the voices of these survivors while simultaneously acting as a foundation to support them. Like the petals on a wisteria tree or the lotus on a murky pond, we persevere and come back radiantly beautiful every time.