An eye-catching exhibition exploring the silent stories of domestic violence has been unveiled in Footscray.
Ninety students from Victoria University’s diploma of specialist make-up course spent more than six hours meticulously painting 17 models for the If These Walls Could Talk exhibition at VU at Metrowest last Wednesday, camouflaging them against a backdrop of intricate wallpaper panels.
Creative director Sam Pattison said the exhibition aimed to show the fear, shame and lack of voice felt by the estimated one in six women trapped in a cycle of domestic violence.
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“Discovering that intimate partner violence is the most common type of violence against women was a real revelation,” she said.
“We wanted to help raise awareness of this issue and the exhibition is our students’ way of making a statement . . . they have embraced this challenge knowing domestic violence may well impact their lives.”
“It’s really difficult to paint a moving, breathing body to exactly match the intricate wallpaper detail,” she said.
Ninety students from Victoria University’s diploma of specialist make-up course spent more than six hours meticulously painting 17 models for the If These Walls Could Talk Money raised through donations on the night has gone to support the male-led White Ribbon campaign to end men’s violence against women.
