Silence will not protect you: Speaking up, speaking out, and speaking against domestic violence through the medium of jewellery in The body language - scars by Dominika Kuźniar

Arts activisms and gender-based violence through transnational perspectives

Abstract

In this article, I focus on an art project entitled The body language - scars (2023 – ongoing) created by Dominika Kuźniar, a Polish jewellery artist. The collection, which includes six jewellery items, is explored as an arts activist practice raising awareness of gender-based violence, specifically domestic violence in Poland. I will pay attention to the new visual language developed by Kuźniar via the medium of jewellery to counter the culture of silence and shame surrounding domestic violence and encourage collective responsibility and accountability. Focusing on the language of jewellery, I interrogate how we hold space for women to speak up, speak out, and speak against GBV in solidarity a nd adjacency.