BLUSHING LACE- Content warning: the work discusses gender-based violence
Blushing Lace explores the rising issue of violence against women in Australia, drawing from my personal experiences of abuse by my father and other adult men during my childhood. Through this body of work, I aim to raise awareness among those unfamiliar with the realities of gender-based violence and offer support, recognition, and representation to those who have endured it. This project is both a personal act of healing and a chance to reach out and represent other survivors. I’m exploring how generations of women have continuously been traumatised, stigmatised, sexualised, and rejected for being women. Throughout history and even today, women who speak up against violence and misogyny are often dismissed as hysterical or emotionally unstable. Australia is currently facing a devastating rise in violence against women and children, yet meaningful conversations within the media and political spheres remain practically non-existent. This lack of acknowledgment mirrors the broader societal attitude that issues affecting women are somehow less important.
The installation presents a deeply immersive environment constructed from fabricated walls that function simultaneously as forms of shelter and confinement. The space is designed to resemble a vanity room, a site traditionally associated with preparation and self-presentation, and a tension between empowerment and the social expectation to conform. The deliberate fusion of horror and girlhood aesthetics generates an emotional dissonance that reflects the complex psychological state of surviving gender-based violence, an experience that is frequently overlooked or dismissed. Personal texts are distributed throughout the work, while the names of women lost to violence in Australia during 2024 and 2025 are inscribed along the wall, surrounded by butterflies as a gesture of remembrance and acknowledgment. This interplay between vulnerability and confrontation is central to my artistic practice. I hope that audiences leave with a deeper understanding of the correlation between trauma and violence, and a desire to educate themselves further. This project represents not just a conclusion to my degree, but an ongoing process of recovery, a reclamation of my voice, my body, and my future.
Jayla Kristenlee Caprio is a mixed media artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. Her practice explores themes of mental illness, femininity, and political resistance, drawing from her lived experience as a queer, neurodivergent, 22-year-old woman. Jayla’s choice of medium is driven by the conceptual needs of each work, allowing her to shift fluidly between materials and approaches. Her art is often described as either bold, bright, and colourful or dark, gory, and bodily, reflecting a wide range of emotions and themes. Known for her maximalist style and meticulous attention to detail, Jayla creates immersive pieces that confront and captivate viewers. Her recent exhibitions include her solo show Intense Femininity at Brunswick Street Gallery and the group exhibition Ant 2.0 at The Unassigned Gallery. Through her practice, she aims to challenge social norms, reclaim identity, and give voice to stories that are often left unheard
https://www.instagram.com/jkcaps_art_/
