Raising Sakinah | Finding Peace is a project under the umbrella of Darkness into Light. It honours the Shuhada, those taken from us on March 15, 2019, and provides creative tools to help people affected by the attacks through their grief and healing, taking into account their individual spiritual and cultural needs. In the aftermath of the mosque shootings, survivors and supporters joined Janneth Gil and collaborators to transform tragedy through creative community.
Art and photography immortalise the experiences of those affected, amplifying the voices of the survivors, encouraging both personal healing and social cohesion among diverse participants, and inviting viewers to reconsider the unconscious biases they may hold towards those we often see as ‘other’.
Workshops and inks crafted by Janneth from the tributes that poured in make these metaphors and lessons visible, reminding us of the loss of innocent lives and the hope that unity, healing and wellbeing can carry us through our darkest days, bringing to life conversations and images carved from the memories of our friends and neighbours as they pursue Raising Sakinah | Finding Peace.
The exhibition is on from Saturday 25 March to Sunday 21 May at at Te Pito Huarewa / Southbase Gallery, located on Tuakiri | Identity, Level 2, Tūranga.
Find out more about the Darkness into Light project on Janneth Gil’s website.
All images courtesy Janneth Gil, Darkness into Light Project. Photographs: Arabella Spoors.