Body maps

These body maps were created by two SEMA members during a body mapping workshop in which survivors of wartime sexual violence conveyed their life experiences using art as a medium. Through this process, the workshop participants worked on strengthening their individual capacities and affirming values, as it allowed them to observe their life in its entirety and not solely through lived trauma.

Each map created during the workshop presents a drawing of one survivor’s body, consisting of two life-sized silhouettes. The first silhouette shows the physical changes to the body before and after the traumatic experience, while the second is inscribed with the names of all the people who are a part of their personal support network. Survivors used the remaining surfaces to describe and illustrate the most important events and experiences in their lives, from childhood to the present day, but also their hopes for the future. Body maps are read counterclockwise, starting with the symbol in the top left corner and moving downward.

This workshop was organised by the War Childhood Museum in 2021, and the body maps were part of the Speaking Out exhibition dedicated to and produced in collaboration with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and children born of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Sarajevo, Mostar) and Serbia (Belgrade). The Speaking Out exhibition was the result of a 6-month long process of documenting the experiences of survivors.