I am initiating a project to support fellow sexual trauma survivors on our journey to regain clarity and control over our lives. I want to invite others to participate in the process.

 

This project will utilize insight I gained while creating HUSH, my most recent project, to encourage other survivors to redefine that chapter of their lives by translating some aspect of their experience into jewelry or object. A part of this new process is listening to and/or reading the stories of others who have experienced sexual trauma and creating works from our interactions. My goal is to encourage a sense of validation in the participant, as well as viewer understanding of the lasting impact sexual trauma has on those affected.

 

Contributors can be any gender but should be over the age of 18 and may remain completely anonymous if they choose to. However, I believe that the age at the time of the experience is important. The process will involve recounting, orally or in writing, as much of the experience and its effect as is comfortable. My goal is for the work to be displayed in an exhibition within the next year.

 

I am initiating this project as part of the Windgate Fellowship I received from the Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design. As I have noted, this project is an extension of my graduate thesis HUSH, a contemporary jewelry installation based on my experience with sexual trauma. Creating concrete work from my own trauma was a small step towards validating my experience.

 

Contact me at kaitlingdunn@gmail.com.