Trigger Warning: Abuse and Sexual Assault

I sought to focus primarily on the reality of suffering that is often not seen or chosen not to be seen by us. I came about this theme because I have found that the art that makes me think differently about the way I view the world is often the most impactful and I wanted to create pieces that bring the same reaction in the viewers of my art. I wanted to begin by focusing on suffering on the bigger scale and move into very personal forms of suffering. All of the pieces are based on my own experiences because I think when we portray the raw emotions or thoughts that we experience ourselves, the viewers are able to relate to the pieces more personally. I focused on my experiences with suffering in America, suffering as a woman, and suffering as a victim of domestic violence.

All of the pieces in my show include warmer colors, specifically red because I think the color red truly captures the intense feelings of suffering. Two of my three-dimensional pieces, Arrested Development and No longer Whole, are similar aesthetically but are different in that one explores the damaging wounds caused by experiencing child abuse and the other explores the damaging wounds caused by gender-based sexual violence. Though our experiences may be different, they often result in the same type of pain and suffering. I struggled the most to make these two pieces because they are comprised of barbed wire and plaster, mediums that I was quite unfamiliar with. The other most pivotal pieces in my show were from a series called “The Only Monster You Should Be Afraid of is Me,” which was something my father would say to me as a child when I would express fear of the monsters in my closet. I chose to display these pieces separately because each captures a different aspect of my experiences with my father.

The pieces from my aforementioned series are displayed in generic household frames that one would put their family photos in because I wanted to add an extra emphasis on how we choose to present our family to others that may not be the reality. I chose to make my pieces disturbing, shocking, and uncomfortable for the viewers because I think the best way to make people notice the serious themes behind the art is to create an immediate reaction within them.

Monthly Masterpiece

Rachel Mathew, 2019, acrylic paint and found objects(sanitary pads and fake flowers), 25 x 47 cm

This piece was made from painted pads, fake blood, and fake flowers. Our bodies are beautiful, every function is a masterpiece, including our periods. Society tells women that we need to be ashamed of it, that we should feel shame for just being a woman. Menstruation is a struggle that most women face, a struggle that shows how intricately we have been designed, a struggle that shows our power to endure the greatest of pains, a struggle that shows our power of reproduction.

No longer Whole

Rachel Mathew, 2019, acrylic paint, plaster and floral foam, 12 x 13 x 36 cm

Society views women as bodies, not as their accomplishments, their thoughts, their intelligence. This woman has no limbs or head because the focus in our society is often only on women’s sexual features. This over-sexualization of women, especially young women, leads to serious pain. The pain depicted in this piece is that of sexual assault, a precious part of a woman is savagely ripped away and she feels as though something is missing. Can she be restored or is the damage permanent?