The Exploration of Art Creation Among Mothers from Ontario, Canada, with Histories of Gender-Based Violence Using an Interpretive Description Approach

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a human rights violation and an issue of gender inequality, with 35% of women globally experiencing GBV. Mothers who experience GBV are a unique population, with vast implications on their health. Artmaking can reduce these health effects due to the self-expression, emotional healing, empowerment, and social change which often occur. The purpose of this study was to understand the process of independently creating a visual art form for mothers in Ontario, Canada, with histories of GBV, as a reflection of their experience of GBV. An arts-based interpretive descriptive study informed by intersectionality was conducted with 13 mothers from Ontario with histories of GBV utilizing semistructured interviews. Two themes emerged: (1) creative processes and (2) storytelling experiences of GBV through art. The findings from this study highlight the process of art creation among mothers from Ontario who have experienced GBV. However, further exploration surrounding artmaking among mothers with histories of GBV in Canada is warranted.