The following images are the creative expressions of persons who have experienced violence. Some of the images were created by survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Others images were created by children or groups of children who were simply trying to understand the violence they had experienced or witnessed. Still others created images to express thier hope in the midst of chaotic times. Each image - whether it is drawn, painted, sculpted, photographed - tells a poignant visual story . . . and speaks of woundedness when words are not adequate or possible.
HOLOCAUST
I titled my piece "Night"to depict the flight of Elie Wiesel's family, which was portrayed in his memoir, "Night." The silhouettes produce a ghostly image of the emotions of the people experiencing this horror, as well as of the people who have only heard of the nightmares inflicted upon Jews. The use of shadow indicates intangible remnants of the past.
the Gallery of Student Artwork includes visual images, such as this art, that give expression to the horror of violence.
HOLOCAUST
My inspiration for this piece came from stories of the Holocaust from books and told to me by survivors. I wanted to portray a feeling of isolation inside completeness. Although the Jews each suffered their own torment, as a people, they endured the ordeal together.
- Mikki P.
Both pieces (above) are from the Website Facing History and Ourselves: Voices, the Gallery of Student Artwork includes visual images, such as this art, that give expression to the destructive forces of violence.
My art piece is about the suffering people endure. It also represents hope that maybe one day discrimination, violence, and hatred will instead be love and peace. I know that in order for this to happen, others who think the same as I do must choose to participate.
- Javier G.
12th Grade
Sullivan High School, Gallery 37, Chicago
An adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse created this self-portrait to express a particular stage of her healing journey. Her life is testimony to the therapeutic value of expressing grief and woundedness through art.
The Teaching Tolerance website describes the One World Mural Kids Project as a means to enable children to express their fears, articulate their concerns, and find positive and creative ways to transform violence and become creators of peace.
Domestic violence and sexual abuse takes a powerful toll on a child. This image is an adult survivor's expression of that.
The eyes of this self-portrait tell a story of despair in the midst of child sexual abuse. The adult who survived such abuse has begun to heal - slowly - and creativity has been an integral part of that healing. When violence is too intense to express with words, a creative heart can speak of healing and hope.
My painting is about progression. It tells the story of a journey of finding one's individuality and spirit. The story is a personal, yet the themes and emotions are universal. It begins with the blindness and dumbness caused by repression and moves through the stages of denial, rage and the anguish of coming to terms with one's situation. It ends with the realization of one's own strength and the action of telling the secrets that let one heal. The piece is about hope and the strength of the human mind and spirit.
the Gallery of Student Artwork includes visual images, such as this art piece, that give expression to the human suffering caused by violence.
Another poignant self-portrait by an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse expresses a stage of confusion, despair and devastation that was a part of her life.
My piece is a reflection on some of the most horrific themes that have been present in society. By using them for this project, I wanted to present various connections, while leaving the questions and ideas behind them open ended. The central pair of eyes can also be interpreted in an individual way. Although I made deliberate choices, I want people to decide for themselves.
the Gallery of Student Artwork includes visual images, such as this art, that offers a positive expression of for stopping the violence - peace, love, balance, etc.
I wanted {this piece} to subject the reader to the feeling of despair, gloom, and lack of control.The rigid and methodical strokes confined and suppressed the raw emotions that are related to this profoundly tragic moment in history. Therefore, after some deliberation, I continued the piece with wild and deranged strokes. How can you depict the Holocaust, a chaotic event, in neat and organized lines?
- Michael N.
From the Website Facing History and Ourselves: Voices, the Gallery of Student Artwork includes visual images, such as this Witness and Legacy drawing, that give expression to the the despair aused by violence.
I kept thinking about the people taken away on the trains to the concentration camps. I wanted to make a drawing of all those faces trapped behind the bars on the windows of the trains faces that would never be the same again. The more I worked, the more I wanted to make the bars as realistic and more symbolic. I also decided to contrast the face of a grieving girl, still alive and innocent, with the death-like masks of others for whom all innocence was lost.
- Hana B.
Another Witness and Legacy drawing from the Website Facing History and Ourselves: Voices, the Gallery of Student Artwork includes this visual image, which gives violence a face that cannot be ignored.
From the Celebrating Peace Website, young children create art on the theme: "I think peace is like . . ."
My inspiration for this piece came from stories of the Holocaust from books and told to me by survivors. I wanted to portray a feeling of isolation inside completeness. Although the Jews each suffered their own torment, as a people, they endured the ordeal together. 
