New gallery, Ink Exposed now open at WKU

BOWLING GREEN, Ky.-Women are using tattoos to reclaim their bodies following sexual assault, and now photos of those tattoos are on display in a new gallery at Western Kentucky University.

Ink exposed is now open at Downing Student Union on WKU’s campus.

The photos are all of women and the tattoos they have, which are reminders of their sexual assault.

The women who come from different parts of Kentucky, appear faceless in the photographs.

The sexual assault services coordinator at WKU talks about a set of photos that stands out to her. A trio of photos from friends who got matching tattoos following their assaults.

“Each of them has a Fire Rose somewhere in that tattoo. To me that says a lot of solidarity, standing together and supporting each other. I can look at this, feel this, see this and know that I’m not alone and I didn’t have to go through the process of getting the tattoo alone,” said Elizabeth Madaviaga, Sexual Assault Services Coordinator at WKU.

Ink exposed is part of sexual assault prevention month. The gallery will be on display till the end of the month.