KATHMANDU: Women and girls’ trafficking is rife not only in Nepal but all over the world. Addressing the issue, ‘True Stories’ exhibition is being held at the premises of Patan Museum. The exhibition started from July 13 and will continue till July 31.

The ongoing exhibition was conceptualized by Randy Rosenberg with various art pieces depicting the stories of those who were trafficked, abused, forced into slavery or prostitution and victimized of many unspoken yet prevailing social stigmas.

Rosenberg, a curator of Art Works for Change, collaborated with Siddhartha Art Foundation (SAF) for the exhibit. The artworks are a result of series of workshops that were held over a period of four months, where nine women and girls from Shakti Samuha and Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN) created the artworks under the mentorship of Sattya Media Arts Collaborative along with the US Embassy.

The art pieces being exhibited around the walls of Patan Museum have been divided into four main categories: Objectification, Mythology, Exploitation and Empowerment.

Under the Objectification category, dolls have been used in the art pieces to reflect women being objectified for sexual purpose. Another artwork, under this category, is a video that creatively visualizes a woman’s lips licking an ice-cream.  The Mythology category shows how women have been chained down by superstitious beliefs and how they are treated as witches.

Similarly under the Exploitation category, Snow White’s classic portrait has been repainted to show how a girl loses her true identity with time. Under the Empowerment category, different portraits depict how women can be empowered and its importance.

Based on the four-month workshop, a book has also been adapted with stories in detail about the victims. The book will be soon launched online, and be distributed worldwide.