Battle, Traffic, Grief, Trauma, Resilience & Treasure

Drawing from my collaboration with trafficking survivors at Breaking Free, this collection of pieces describes one pattern of experience for a person who has been trafficked, with dragonflies guiding the viewer from piece to piece. 

Battle in the lower left expresses how each of us has unsurpassable worth and unique beauty and how life can be a long journey. 

Traffic in the upper left provides a view into the "Mapping the Demand" research report on trafficking in Minnesota (authored by Lauren Martin and her colleagues at the University of Minnesota). 

Grief in the upper center represents how we may grasp in the dark for meaning when we experience loss. 

​

Trauma in the lower center includes several direct quotes from trafficking survivors regarding the impact of being trafficked. 

Resilience in the lower right is about the clarity, toughness and sheer will a survivor may have when they rediscover their true self. 

Finally, Treasure in the upper right is where the trafficking survivors shared the best parts of their lives as girls and sources of strength now.

​

To see the survivor statements written on "Trauma" and "Treasure", click here.