To coincide with White Ribbon Day (25 November), Gaslighting Art, a unique online platform for visual art and resources focused on domestic abuse, is calling for artists to submit work to the recently launched website www.gaslightingart.com.

Gaslighting Art is founded by artist, writer, and educator, Miranda Gavin, and founder of VIKA Books, Victoria Forrest, to show and share artwork and projects about domestic abuse. It brings together visual art from around the world including work created by those with lived experience of domestic abuse as well as work made by those who witnessed abuse as a child.

Do you, or someone you know, have work on this theme?

It could be work about personal experience, it could be work you have made about other peoples’ experience, it could be work you have come across.

The website features personal work, public art projects, activism, and graphic arts. Gavin and Forrest believe that making and sharing art can help to raise awareness, open dialogue, process trauma, promote healing and push for social change. 

Gaslighting refers to a form of emotional and psychological abuse that can lead a person to question their sanity. This is a common type of domestic abuse that has been experienced by many of the artists whose work is included, however, the work shown is not limited solely to this type of abuse, it also includes domestic violence, femicide, and child sexual abuse. The website also includes shortlisted poster designs from an open-call competition aiming to raise awareness of domestic violence during Covid-19, referred to as the Shadow Pandemic by the UN.

Miranda Gavin says: "Gaslighting Art is a dynamic online space focused on domestic abuse which uses the transformative power of art. We want to encourage anyone with art-based work on this theme to help us develop the project and participate by submitting their work to Gaslighting Art. Hopefully, the website will not only be a platform for survivors, family, friends, but anyone interested or affected by the issue—not just artists and creatives, but researchers, academics, social workers, policy makers and those working for domestic abuse organisations. This is a global issue that affects us all and art can provide a means of expression that transcends borders.

"Each artist’s perspective is unique, and the creative strategies used vary, but the lived experience of abusive power and control in the domestic context of intimate relationships gives brave and vital insights into the experience of ordinary people. In many ways, amplifying the voices of those who have experienced domestic abuse through the art they create gives a better understanding of the issue than relying solely on stories of celebrities facing abuse, police reports, and statistical data."

Miranda Gavin and Victoria Forrest have both contributed work to the website and have lived experience of domestic abuse. The featured work includes photography, film, animation, performance, and painting.

All forms of visual art that can be viewed online will be considered