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Talented artist Keira Sloetjes knows what it means to rise from the ashes.
She endured a traumatic sexual assault as a teenager, was homeless after fleeing an abusive partner and more recently, has been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia – a chronic, painful autoimmune disease.
But she won’t let any of this stop her from succeeding in life. Instead, Keira is using this trauma as fuel to gain control and surpass her own expectations.
The mother of two is now the CEO of Desire to Sketch, has completed hundreds of sketch commissions worldwide, illustrated a children’s book, assisted with painting an award-winning silo and painted several large-scale murals located in towns across Australia.
Her first art exhibition and fundraiser ‘Make a Stand, Paint your Hand/Transforming Pain into Power’ at the West Gippsland Arts Centre aims to shine a light on the resilience of survivors and the importance of healing from domestic violence, family violence, and sexual assault.
Each of the artworks represent individuals who have faced unimaginable pain and trauma, yet have emerged stronger, more resilient, and more determined. The artworks are surrounded by incredible, powerful and relatable poetry that Keira’s own mum Jacqi has written over the years throughout her own trauma and for Keira during her darker days.
Keira hopes that the exhibition will raise awareness about the devastating effects on women, men, and children; spreading the message of prevention and empowering the community with knowledge about supportive resources and services that foster hope and recovery.
‘I knew that my first exhibition couldn’t just be artworks on a wall, it needed to serve a purpose and give back to others,’ she said. ‘I want to make an impact and build awareness not just for resilience and fostering hope and strength- I want people to know that there’s life after abuse. Most importantly, we need to prevent it from happening in the first place.’
In the lead up to the exhibition, Keira had several open and honest conversations with both women and men who have been impacted by abuse. Her own self-portrait, done in greyscale with coloured hands, received a poignant response from her son.
‘He asked me if it represented me coming from the ashes and reaching for the light,’ she said. ‘In the past, I’ve had cigarettes put on out me, I’ve been shoved into walls, I’ve had broken ribs, I’ve been left on the side of the freeway covered in hot coffee that was thrown at me. I’ve been in and out of abusive relationships most of my life- financial, verbal, emotional, mental, physical and sexual abuse. At thirteen, I was gang raped.
‘Through the many years of abuse, it’s taken years of counselling, self-reflection and personal development to overcome the trauma, especially the mental and emotional abuse that can forever leave a mark on the mind.
‘I’ve come from the darkness, but I’m transforming my pain into purpose.’
Keira said that whilst working on the exhibition was at times triggering, it was also important for self-reflection. She has realised how far she has come and is very content with the life she lives now. She’s raising her two children in a happy environment, is in a healthy and loving relationship and continues to build on her very popular art school Desire to Sketch.
Keira said spreading a message of kindness starts young, and that’s what she was hoping to achieve while also teaching art. So far, about 70 people attend several classes throughout the week, and Keira said the mutual care and respect between all of them has been incredibly rewarding.
‘People drop their children to me, and there’s so much trust and love that it melts my heart. Anglicare sends children to me that express themselves through their artwork. Other children with ADHD or autism use art as a calming experience,’ she said.
‘It’s therapeutic and communicative. I know that I am impacting their lives -not just through art- but by spreading a message of being kind. It’s important to impact children when they’re young, so we can prevent abuse in the future.’
Keira said that the continued support she received in her day-to-day life as well as her business and exhibition was incredible.
‘On the first day of the exhibition, I was so overwhelmed. It was a real sense of accomplishment,’ she said. ‘I have gone from a place where I felt so alone, to feeling so much love in one room.’
Keira’s exhibition will be on at WGAC until the end of November. It is free to attend. Each artwork is for sale, with 50 per cent of sales going to the buyer’s choice of support service.
If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, help is available. Call 1800 RESPECT.
Support Services Involved in Keira’s project:
You can follow Desire to Sketch on Facebook and Instagram.
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