Petrified Survivors

Justice for Lai Dai Han (JLDH) is a campaign dedicated to seeking justice for the ‘Lai Dai Han’, the dual-heritage children born of Vietnamese women who were raped by South Korean soldiers during the Vietnam War, and their mothers. SEMA is working with JLDH and several likeminded organisations to create a sculpture dedicated to all survivors of sexual violence in conflict situations worldwide.

The sculpture, entitled ‘Petrified Survivors’, depicts a woman with a baby strapped on her back, ensnared by tree vines. The figure stands on a rotatable compass, symbolising the universal prevalence of the issue. The woman is leaning forward and looking to the sky for light. She and her child are bound together by entwined roots and their shared suffering, unable to move forward with their lives until their perpetrators are brought to justice. Among the vines, national flowers and birds, cultural symbols, and engravings of survivors quotes and stories are nestled, each chosen by different survivor groups.

Rebecca Hawkins, the artist behind Petrified Survivors, uses art to tell human stories and promote social justice issues. The sculpture will tour around Europe before being installed in Wassenaar, a region close to The Hague in the Netherlands and close to the International Criminal Court, which is known for its international and diplomatic community.

To date, the campaign has collaborated with 23 organisations, including:  ABAAD – Resource Centre for Gender Equality, Amal Centre, Associazione di Solidarietà Donne per le Donne (ASDD), CARE, Centre for African Justice, Centre for Equality and Justice Sri Lanka, Foundation Rwanda, Foundation Rwanda Youth, Grace Agenda, Impact: Centre Against Human Trafficking, Kvinna Till Kvinna Foundation, Lai Dai Han, Mane Ho Visaun Foun (MHVF), Mukuru SGBV NETWORK, Nadia’s Initiative, Post-Conflict Research Centre, Red Nacional de Promoción de la Mujer (RNPM), SEMA, The Mukwege Foundation, The Silence to Heal, Women at Risk International Freedom (WARIF), Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, Wangu Kanja Foundation.

Supporting the physical sculpture there is an augmented reality (AR) version accessible via a QR code on a mobile device. This has been designed to be an inclusive tool for education and awareness on the issue – hosting additional information on each associated conflict and survivor group. This asset ensures survivors and audiences around the world can view the sculpture in a very real way. 

A working version of the AR is viewable through scanning the QR code or through this link: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/petrified-survivors-by-rebecca-hawkins-c33435ce5f9e44e0b6b27e226c6eaafe .