Date of Submission

Fall 2022

Academic Program

Studio Arts

Project Advisor 1

Kenji Fujita

Abstract/Artist's Statement

One in four American adults has had a sibling incarcerated.

1 in 10 women have been raped by an intimate partner.

On any given night, approximately 41,000 unaccompanied youth ages 13-25 experience homelessness.

76% of child abuse perpetrators were a parent to their victim.

I felt so alone. The moment my brother was arrested, my ex-boyfriend raped me, I was a homeless child who ran away from my family, and my father abused me, I felt othered by society. My brother was a criminal, but he was my beautiful, passionate, kind, protective rock. My ex-boyfriend was a rapist, but he was my best friend and the only one in the world that made sure I always had someone there for me. I was a homeless unaccompanied youth, but people didn’t give a shit about charity like they said they did. My school gave me no resources, the Mormon wives were afraid I would tempt their husbands, the cops looked the other way, and my friends and their parents labeled me as a bad influence. My father abused me, but he was the only person in the world to make me feel better when I cried. I learned the world doesn’t work like how they present it on TV. I used to feel wronged. I used to scream and throw things, pray I would die in my sleep, or just become an empty shell to escape the overwhelming emotion. Since I needed help, I had to continuously share, share, and fucking trauma vomit. However, amongst those who I thought were chosen for a better life, there were some that came forward with their own stories that echoed mine. I have realized that losing your innocence is a gift. Once you have survived, you are now connected to a whole new community that not only you understand, but who understands you. I’ve dedicated my studio arts senior project to the communities that I gained through these four traumatic events. I began with “Numb, Suicidal, and Angry” to capture the moment of social isolation. Then paired “1 in 4” with “I love you bud”, “1 in 10” with “Because he wanted to”, “41,000” with “Trash”, and “76%” with “He had worse”. The first of each pair has the purpose to educate those outside of the community. Not understanding the complexities of victims can lead to counterproductive occurrences such as rape victims not meeting a jury’s emotional expectation. The second of each pair is an image only those within the community can decipher. “Setats Detinu” is a flag that unites these four communities together under a name that’s “United States” backwards as the nation largely has a backwards view on what we have been through. I have met people at Bard College who belong to these four communities and people who understand what it's like to be marginalized. Then, there are those that are completely ignorant. I want the people of Setats Detinu to be heard and the people of the United States to listen.

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