Poke. Fill. Repeat. April 2025 Bubble wrap, Ink, Rope, Wooden Pegs

1 in 4 women reported completed or attempted rape during her lifetime (Basile et al, 2022).

54.3% of women have experienced contact sexual violence* in their lifetime (Basile et al., 2022).

Nearly 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men reported unwanted sexual contact at some point in their lives (Basile et al, 2022).

This artwork confronts the ongoing cycle of sexual assault and violence that persists globally. The piece seeks to overwhelm the audience with used and mistreated objects. Once pristine, protected, and clean, now, prodded, poked, and filled.

Poke. Fill. Repeat. is, at its core, the process and concept. While the process and materials carry the weight of the subject, the method of display and location are equally vital. They evoke a false sense of intimacy both through lighting and location, while hanging serves as a way to mirror both the disorientation and the ritual of cleansing that often follows trauma.

Although the process is central to the meaning of this piece, it is intentionally concealed—mirroring how sexual assault most often occurs out of sight. What is made visible is only the aftermath, the residue, or what others choose for us to see.

Ultimately, this work exposes what is often hidden and invites others to feel what is so frequently silenced.

*Contact sexual violence includes rape, being made to penetrate, sexual coercion, and/or unwanted sexual contact.

Basile, K.C., Smith, S.G., Kresnow, M., Khatiwada S., & Leemis, R.W. (2022). The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 Report on Sexual Violence. Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ nisvs/documentation/nisvsReportonSexualViolence.pdf