Rape is not the unspeakable crime; what others do by silencing victims with shame is.”

                                                                                                            -anonymous

 

As a rape survivor, my silence for years ate away at my soul.  I felt trapped in a world that I never saw myself being freed from. Now, through my images, I give a voice to my pain.

 

As children, we are treated and cared for as precious objects, like porcelain dolls. Dolls can crack if they are not handled with care, just as rape can break the path of life.  The lucidity of expression in these dolls helps convey the intense feelings that follow a sexual assault. 

 

My desire for those viewing these images is to dispel the shame and ignorance that surrounds the crime of rape. Every two and a half minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted. Staggeringly, one in six women are victims of sexual assault and one in thirty-three men. These realistic dolls portray the fear and isolation a victim fights with for years.  I aim to give other survivors hope for their future.

​

Carrie Usmar