silence, 2024 

On 7 October 2023, Israeli women were brutally attacked by Hamas terrorists; they were thrown to the ground, raped, sexually mutilated, murdered, and taken hostage. The artist reflects upon the palpable silence of the #MeToo movement and others in the face of such atrocities. In response, she has created a shroud, hand-stitched with victims’ names and hashtagged words, representing the extreme horror of that day.

No additional information, such as the victims’ ages, places of residence, or occupations, is provided due to the lack of global interest regarding the brutality of this attack on innocent women and children in Israel.

The vintage suitcase evokes the memory of the children hiding in a cupboard for many hours to evade the terrorists, as well as symbolizing the ineffectiveness of the safe rooms against such a deadly infiltration. It also recalls poignant images of piles of luggage that once belonged to Jewish people deported to Auschwitz death camp.

The pebbles, sourced from Israel, are a poignant symbol of remembrance. In Jewish tradition, placing stones on graves during visits serves as an enduring tribute to departed loved ones.

Measurement: 210cm x 110cm x 58cm

Process: Hand stitch

Materials: Cotton, silk threads, vintage suitcase, pebbles from Israel

COMMENTS

  • Thank you for raising awareness

  • Sexual violence seems to follow a pattern; the crime, then the disbelief, followed by the assumption that in some way the victim brought it upon themselves. In a time of polarised opinions and ‘self-censoring’ on issues that are not popular, you are holding strong on this issue. You put those who follow the trend to shame

  • Great job

  • Have we lost our humanity when we refuse to see what our eyes show us? Women harmed in the most brutal, horrific ways is inhuman. How can tears not flow for every one of them

  • Thank you, so important to visualise the horror and the unbelievable way that the world reacted

  • I read many reports on these attacks specifically and still cannot get my head round the brutality and horrendous horror these women went through…the silence, the void of information says it all. Such powerful work. Thank you