Masking Trauma explores the ways in which victims of sexual assault experience interiors through anecdotal evidence, analysing three case studies: the rape scene in José Saramago’s Blindness (1995), the navigation of a sexual assault crisis centre in Chanel Miller’s memoir, Know My Name (2019), and the personal telling of my own story after being sexually assaulted at a young age. The viewer approaches the installation and positions their face in an enclosed box that holds a plaster face mask, and a screen will display a render of the chosen intense interior, with the victim’s story being recited simultaneously. In this installation, the mask offers a portal into the experiences of the victim, allowing one to step into the uncomfortable and profound grief that comes after a sexual assault. The mask offers both visual and audio queues, with the mouth being restricted to discourage commentary or judgement towards survivors of sexual assault.
