One in three women (worldwide) experiences physical or sexual violence perpetrated by an intimate partner (*). Intimate partner violence contributes to women's mental health problems, particularly PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder), depression, suicidality, and sexual and reproductive health issues, including maternal and neonatal health problems.
Violence against women and girls is a widespread human rights violation.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already horrifying surge in domestic violence due to the lockdowns and repetitive quarantines. Emerging data and reports from those on the front lines have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, have intensified. The United Nations calls it "the Shadow Pandemic", and urges to scale up efforts across a range of sectors to prevent violence from happening in the first place and to provide awareness of this violation of human rights, which indiscriminately touches so many people.

Art, as a medium, has the power of translating human emotions into a universal message understood without words by everybody.

In Austin, TX two brilliant academics decided to take an active part in raising awareness and helping local institutions (women's shelters) to deal with this horrifying problem.

Carola Salvi, Ph.D. is a cognitive neuroscientist researcher at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences/ Dell Medical School at UT Austin, who studies the neural bases of creativity, idea generation and memory. Having developed her drawing skills throughout her formative years, she put them to good use by creating a portfolio of artworks related to domestic violence against women. Her drawings started 'The Power Of The Other Hand' concept.
Dax Norman is an established professional artist, and his work includes paintings, NFTs, and movie animation. Dax worked as an Assistant Professor at UT Austin for 10 years. Now, he joined forces to portray the psychological dimension of the trauma victims of domestic violence live through.

The title of the exhibition ("The power of the other hand") has multiple meanings. But predominantly, it symbolizes the power of the hand that reacts to violence. The hand that starts painting to scream at the world to describe how painful that punch was, the hand that calls the police and reports the violence, the hand that gets raised and says STOP the cycle of violence.
Artists and scientists conceived a traveling art exhibition planned to be shown in multiple places from 2022 to 23. The events will combine the exhibition with discussions and talks from experts on the theme of domestic violence (e.g., experts in PTSD, trauma, law, etc.).
The event's target audience is the local community, the art community of each city, university, art students, and donors and potential sponsors interested in buying the art and funding "The Power of the Other Hand Project”.
Each step of the exhibition will explore different nuances of domestic violence. The proceeds from art sales are helping local institutions which struggle the most.

The first one is supporting Family Violence Prevention Service, will be held in San Antonio, TX on May 20, 2022 as a part of Art Against Domestic Violence. The upcoming exhibit will address the theme of "family and violence". Family is often a stage of the domestic violence scenario. The supposedly safe walls of a home transform into a labyrinth from which it is difficult to escape.
The other stages of the exhibition will address different nuances of the broader theme of domestic violence.

To support The Power of The Other Hand efforts please visit:

The Power of the Other Hand WEBSITE.

THE POWER OF THE OTHER HAND's Store, where you can buy artwork and stunning merchandise to support the cause.

Also:

Family Violence Prevention Service

And local Supporters of the Project

Pelaez Law Firm
Yaupon
Jerry’s Artarama – Austin

(*) 2013 the World Health Organization, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the South African Medical Research Council presented the first global systematic review and synthesis of the body of scientific data.