BFA+MFA 2022

Anurag Wallace

Objectified

MFA in Design

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Domestic violence against women is an ongoing problem in India. With cases rising ever higher, the time has come to talk openly about the uncomfortable truths behind arranged marriages, which foster injustice and often lead to violence against women. The wedding dress is a symbol of purity in traditional Indian weddings, but in the case of marriages that turn abusive, it can become a symbol of oppression and patriarchy. During the research phase of this investigation, women once stuck in abusive marriages—treated as objects—talked about the objects that made them feel trapped, and explained how these everyday objects became silent witnesses to violence. These symbolic objects are embroidered into the very fabric of a hand-stitched wedding dress and exhibited in public, to start a conversation, raise awareness and support women—to serve as a call for societal change.