When Catherine Daniels struggled to verbalise her experiences of sexual abuse as a child, which she'd kept secret for decades, she turned to sculpture – sharing the impacts of carrying hidden trauma in visible form to others.

‘The Secret Keeper' is a sculpture and photographic exhibition created by the artist to raise awareness about sexual abuse. 'It's about starting conversations around childhood trauma and sexual abuse and the affects it has long-term on people,” says Catherine.

Thoughts made visible

With more than 70 sculptures in the exhibition, Catherine first began creating the sculpted girls eight years ago. 'It's taken me eight years of full-time work to process not only my trauma, but work out how to say it in a different form than just verbally – I couldn't say it verbally out loud – I struggled to verbalise what had happened to me.”

Catherine says the process of sculpting what she was feeling was 'cathartic” and gave her a visual way to express thoughts that she couldn't express with words. 'When I was sculpting I could, put it in a sculpture and I didn't even have to write it or say it; I could just show people and they didn't need an explanation.

'The emotions just flowed out like water, pouring out of this damn that had built up over 50 years and once I started, I just couldn't stop.”

Showing her psychiatrist and psychologist, Dr Jerry Barnard and Elinor Seville, her sculptures, they encouraged Catherine to share her work. 'They said: ‘This has to go out in public – it's going to help so many people'.”

The exhibition gives sexual abuse survivors validation says Catherine and helps others to have greater empathy. Photo: Brydie Thompson.

Normalising conversations

Catherine believes, as a society, we need to normalise conversations around sexual abuse. 'It's a part of so many people's lives. It's one of those subjects that's never talked about and we need to talk about it, we need to normalise it.

'It's the only thing in the world that is non-cultural, non-female or male, rich or poor…. there is no barriers to what sexual abuse and childhood trauma doesn't touch.”

'People that come to the exhibition feel validated and they feel like they're not alone,” says Catherine, who adds the sculptures are for everyone to see.

She believes the exhibition creates greater understanding, empathy and insight into the lives of those who may have experienced trauma. 'It gives you a look into a part of a person that you often don't even think about.”

Sharing her exhibition, Catherine says 70-80-year-old men and women have spoken to her after seeing the sculptures and told her of similar sexual abuse experiences in their past.

'That's the amazing power of these sculptures – to open people up that they feel safe enough to talk about their past and what they have kept secret for 75 years,” says Catherine.

Held at The Village Hall, in The Historic Village, the exhibition will run from September 5- 26 at 10am-4pm. Entry is free.