A traumatic experience from an intimate partner’s violence : a personal catharsis through art

Abstract

This study explores art as a means to work through a lived traumatic experience because of an intimate partner’s violence. It examined the therapeutic qualities of artmaking to process past trauma and facilitate personal catharsis. Practice-led research methods culminated in an exhibition forming part of the research process. The artworks readdress the researcher’s past traumatic experience of intimate-partner violence and represent her journey of working through her experiences through art to reach personal catharsis. Narrative therapy and therapeutic journaling theories facilitated this study. The theories advance therapeutic outcomes of healing and catharsis by crafting metaphorical narratives of difficult experiences and expressing them through art. Data were collected by means of a multi-method approach within artistic research design and practice-led research methods, together with thick descriptions. Reflective narrative and autoethnography formed the method of analysis. The findings demonstrate that art offers multiple pathways to safely revisit and express traumatic experiences of intimate-partner violence and to share one’s experience, inspire dialogue and facilitate personal catharsis.

Dinyakišišo tše di lekola bokgabo bjalo ka mokgwa wa go šoma ka maitemogelo a kgatelelo a monagano ao batho ba phetšego ka ona ka lebaka la dikgaruru tša baratani. Di lekotše boleng bja kalafo bja go dira bokgabo bja go šoma ka kgatelelo ya monagano ye e tseneletšego ye e fetilego le go nolofatša tšweletšo ya bohloko ka matšwasehlabelo. Mekgwa ya dinyakišišo ye e laolwago ke tirišo e feleleditše ka gore go be le pontšho ye e bopago karolo ya tshepedišo ya dinyakišišo. Bokgabo bo ahlaahla leswa maitemogelo ao a fetilego a kgatelelo ya monagano ye e tseneletšego a dikgaruru tša baratani ebile bo emela leeto la gagwe la go šoma ka maitemogelo a gagwe ka go diriša bokgabo gore a kgone go fihlelela tšweletšo ya bohloko bja gagwe. Diteori tša kalafo ka kanegelo le kalafo ka kgašo di nolofaditše dinyakišišo tše. Diteori tše di tšwetša pele dipoelo tša kalafo tša go fola le tša tšweletšo ya bohloko ka go hlama dikanegelo tša tshwantšhišo tša maitemogelo a boima le go a tšweletša ka go diriša bokgabo. Tshedimošo e kgobokeditšwe ka tsela ya mekgwa ye mentši ya dinyakišišo ka gare ga tlhamo ya dinyakišišo ya tša bokgabo le mekgwa ya dinyakišišo ya go laolwa ke tirišo, gammogo le mokgwa wa tlhathollo ya tša leago. Kanegelo ya kgopodišišo le kanegelo ka ga maitemogelo a gago di bopile mokgwa wa tshekatsheko ya tshedimošo. Dikutollo di laetša gore bokgabo bo fana ka ditsela tše ntši tša go etela leswa le go hlagiša maitemogelo a kgatelelo ya monagano ye e tseneletšego ka polokego ye e bakwago ke dikgaruru tša baratani le go abelana ka maitemogelo a gago, go hlohleletša dingangišano le go nolofatša tšweletšo ya bohlokwa bja maitemogelo ao.

Olu phando luphonononga ubugcisa bokuzoba njengendlela yokuqubisana nomenzakalo ophilwe kumava omntu ngenxa yobundlobongela beqabane/umntu omthandayo. Luvavanye iimpawu zonyango loxinzelelo ngobugcisa bokuzoba ukusebenza umenzakalo owadlulayo kwanokukhuthaza ukukhulula intliziyo yomntu. Iindlela zophando ezikhokelwa kukwenza zakhokelela kumboniso ukwenza inkqubo yophando. Umsebenzi wobugcisa bokuzoba ubonisa phandle amava okuchukumiseka okudlulileyo komphandi ngenxa yobundlobongela beqabane/umntu omthananayo kwaye umele uhambo lwakhe ngokujonga amava akhe ngokusebenzisa ubugcisa bokuzoba ukuze afikelele kokumchukumisayo. Iingingane/iithiyori yonyango ngokubalisa ngokutsha nokubhala kwijenali okuphilisayo zizo ezenze lula olu phando. Iingcingane/iithiyori ziqhubela phambili iziphumo zonyango lokuphila nokukhulula intliziyo ngokuthi kwenziwe ubaliso ngezikweko ngamava anzima ukuze avakaliswe ngobugcisa bokuzoba. Iinkcukacha zophando zaqokelelwa ngendlela yeemethodi ezininzi kunkqulunqo lophando lobugcisa bokuzoba kunye neemethodi ezikhokelwa kukwenza, zikunye neenkcazelo ezibanzi. Iimethodi yohlalutyo yenziwe ngembaliso engamava nenzululwazi yebali elibaliswa ngumbhali ngokwakhe ngamava nangeentlanga. Iziphumo zibonakalisa ukuba ubugcisa bokuzoba bunika iindlela ezininzi zokuqwalasela kwakhona ngokukhuselekileyo kwaye zivakalise amava omenzakalo wobundlobongela beqabane/umntu omthandayo nokwabelana ngamava, ukuphembelela incoko nokukhuthaza ukukhupha okuchukumisayo emntwini.