Voices of Shakti
Voices of Shakti; the Ongoing Struggle exhibition is the result of a series of individual and collective discussions and interactions that developed over a period of five months between South Asian women from Apna Ghar (Our House) Inc., a domestic violence organization in Chicago, and artist Indira Freitas Johnson.
Marking the 11th anniversary of the founding of Apna Ghar, Voices of Shakti: the Ongoing Struggle was hosted by DePaul University- Lincoln Park at the John T. Richardson Library in 2005. The exhibit focuses attention on the issue of domestic violence and tests the boundaries of old value and belief systems, especially those that provide legitimacy for violence against women. In addition it provided a forum for women to speak out and question elements of South Asian and US traditions, and myths that dominate society in general and women’s lives in particular.
Woman’s worth, alienation, patriarchy, society’s response to leaving one’s husband, self-determination, freedom and aspects of shame are some of the issues addressed in the exhibit. The act of “talking back”, of analyzing the systems that had oppressed them, gave participating women renewed strength. As the issues coalesced into visual interpretations they developed into the nine works that make up the Voices of Shakti; the Ongoing Struggle installation.
Marking the 11th anniversary of the founding of Apna Ghar, Voices of Shakti: the Ongoing Struggle was hosted by DePaul University- Lincoln Park at the John T. Richardson Library in 2005. The exhibit focuses attention on the issue of domestic violence and tests the boundaries of old value and belief systems, especially those that provide legitimacy for violence against women. In addition it provided a forum for women to speak out and question elements of South Asian and US traditions, and myths that dominate society in general and women’s lives in particular.
Woman’s worth, alienation, patriarchy, society’s response to leaving one’s husband, self-determination, freedom and aspects of shame are some of the issues addressed in the exhibit. The act of “talking back”, of analyzing the systems that had oppressed them, gave participating women renewed strength. As the issues coalesced into visual interpretations they developed into the nine works that make up the Voices of Shakti; the Ongoing Struggle installation.
