Mexican Artist’s Embroidery Highlights Global Gender Violence Crisis

# The Power of Art in Addressing Gender-Based Violence: Elina Chauvet’s Work

Art has long been a vehicle for protest, awareness, and social change. One artist using her craft to confront gender-based violence and femicide is **Elina Chauvet**, a Mexican artist and activist. Known for her poignant public installations and textile-based works, Chauvet has inspired global audiences to reflect on the pervasive issues of domestic abuse, misogyny, and violence against women.

As part of an ongoing effort to acknowledge and combat these issues, **a pop-up exhibition of Chauvet’s work titled “Corazón al Hilo”** was curated in New York City by **Galería 1204 Director Lorena Ramos** and **MAD54 founder Aida Valdez** from **March 26–29, 2024**, at 102 Franklin Street in Tribeca.

## The Urgency of the Issue

According to a **2021 national survey** conducted in Mexico, **nearly 40% of Mexican women and girls** have experienced intimate partner violence, with over **20% reporting incidents within the last year**. Gender-based violence remains a global crisis, making advocacy through media, policy, and, significantly, art an essential form of resistance.

## “Zapatos Rojos” – A Harrowing Memorial

One of Chauvet’s most recognized works is **”Zapatos Rojos” (“Red Shoes”)**, an installation that debuted in **Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, in 2009**. The piece featured hundreds of donated red shoes, each representing a woman who had been killed or had disappeared due to gender-based violence. Tragically, Chauvet’s own sister was one of the victims—**murdered by her husband at age 32**.

The visual impact of the installation, which has since traveled globally, forces viewers to confront the staggering rates of femicide and the countless lives lost to domestic abuse.

## “Heridas Domésticas” – The Hidden Wounds of Verbal Abuse

In her latest work, **”Heridas Domésticas” (“Domestic Wounds”)**, Chauvet explores the more insidious aspects of abuse—the verbal and psychological aggression that often precedes physical violence. The series consists of traditional white doilies pierced with **blood-red embroidered insults and phrases in Spanish** that are commonly used in abusive relationships, such as:

– *“Estúpida”* (“Stupid”)
– *“Tonta”* (“Dumb” or “Idiot”)
– *“Inútil”* (“Useless”)
– *“Calladita te ves más bonita”* (“You look prettier when you keep quiet”)
– *“Solo sirves para servir”* (“You are only good for serving”)
– *“Aquí el que paga manda”* (“Here, the one who pays, rules”)

The juxtaposition of delicate fabrics—often associated with femininity—against brutal language highlights how normalized misogyny and control can become in everyday relationships.

Chauvet stated, *“There are certain patterns that repeat in verbal domestic violence, which many women recognize because we have either witnessed or experienced them.”* By using embroidery, a traditionally “feminine” craft, as a medium for protest, Chauvet transforms a symbol of domestic care into one of rebellion and awareness.

## “Confianza” – Challenging Notions of Trust and Security

Another powerful work, **”Confianza” (“Trust”)**, is a performance piece that Chauvet began in **2013**. During the performance, she **sits in public spaces hand-embroidering onto a white wedding dress**, symbolizing the trust many women place in relationships, society, and institutions—often with tragic consequences.

The piece is inspired by **Pippa Bacca**, an Italian feminist artist who, in **2008**, embarked on an international hitchhiking journey dressed in a wedding gown to promote world peace. Sadly, during her travels, she was **raped and murdered in Turkey**. Chauvet honors Bacca’s legacy by continuing her discussion of trust—who deserves it, how it is broken, and the dangers women face in a violent world.

### The Political Power of a Needle and Thread

Chauvet has performed “Confianza” in cities worldwide, including outside **the United Nations building in New York**, where security officials forced her to stop. Her removal from such an institution, dedicated to human rights, highlighted the **political implications of seemingly harmless embroidery**.

*”That was the moment I realized the symbolic and political power of a needle and thread,”* Chauvet reflected. *”How an act as simple as embroidery can become a form of resistance, protest, and struggle.”*

## Art as Resistance and Healing

Chauvet’s work demonstrates that **art can be more than aesthetics—it can be a powerful tool for change