To present a well-rounded viewpoint, it’s crucial for me to feature a female artist who actively advocates for the well-being of both children and adults. I am describing someone who fights tirelessly against child exploitation and human trafficking. It is necessary to mention that there are painful sexual encounters. The focus of this article is not on fantasy, but on deep contemplation of the harsh realities surrounding sexual assault. It describes the experience of one artist who overcame incredible odds and survived.
Suzzan Blac was born in Birmingham, UK in 1960. Her oil paintings and writing reflect her personal experiences with physical, mental, and sexual abuse. Blac’s artistic purpose is to shake society out of apathy and educate those who perpetrate secondary victimization, which can be equally distressing as the abuse. Suzzan’s work serves as a source of inspiration in group therapy for victims of abuse. Her work revolves around creating educational programs that encourage greater understanding.
Blac turned to painting between 2000 and 2004 to process her pain, anger, and trauma from the abuse she experienced. In order to tap into her subconscious, she started by doodling while watching TV, recognizing that these drawings had to originate from a place deep within herself rather than her conscious thoughts. After creating the drawings, she skillfully transformed them into realistic paintings that depicted both the victim and the perpetrators. Despite feeling unsettled by her paintings, she understood that they honestly portrayed her innermost pain that required healing. For four years, she dedicated herself to painting forty images, which she carefully kept hidden for over a decade, fully aware that sharing them would cause harsh judgment. It was in 2011 when she made the bold decision to share her most challenging work with the world by putting it online. Blac found it necessary to use her artistic abilities as a platform for speaking out and advocating for her beliefs. There were many people who said hurtful things to her. However, she also received gratitude from countless survivors who felt empowered to speak up because of her.
Blac’s work is challenging to look at. It invites the viewer to contemplate and empathize with situations involving sexual violence as a victim. In her own description, she compares rape to a type of murder in which the victim does not lose their life. Blac renders and illustrates emotions in a horrific way. She blends figuration with an eerie, surreal style. In her painting, she frequently uses an effect where the figures appear malleable under the influence of a predatory force. Dolls are frequently used to represent figures. The combination of these elements makes a significant and lingering impression on anyone who sees them. Her paintings hold viewers hostage and give them an intimate feeling of her experience.
The scenes in Blac’s work are terrifying, creating the ultimate experience of body horror and disassociation. Her artwork also serves as a healing remedy for emotional trauma, as well as a catalyst for memories of sexual abuse survivors. One could hypothesize that Blac’s neuroaesthetics might have an influence on the hippocampus, the area of the brain that plays a crucial role in managing the experiencing self and the remembering self.
Before reading her book, The Rebirth of Suzzan Blac, I was familiar with Suzzan’s remarkable talent for painting, but unaware of her story. I won’t reveal too much about the book, but I can give you a general concept. Blac was a prisoner, enduring unimaginable exploitation in the sex trade. These events occurred when she was still a teenager. The book is candid, and Blac’s narrative has a genuine and tender tone. Although the subject was difficult, the book had a natural and easy-to-read style that leads the reader into a world filled with the most cruel human conditions one can imagine. Blac’s book is incredibly uplifting and positive. Her dedication to addressing sexual abuse issues is evident in her continuous efforts to use art as a medium for awareness.
Written by Mitchell Pluto
Mitchell Pluto 