“WHAT I LEARNED”: This work by Chanika Svetvilas is part of “Sutured Resilience,” Artworks Trenton’s first full, in-person exhibition in over a year. It runs through September 4 at 19 Everett Alley in Trenton. An opening reception is Saturday, August 21 from 6-8 p.m.

Artworks Trenton presents “Sutured Resilience,” an exhibition that brings together three female artists — Jennifer Cabral, Kat Cope, and Chanika Svetvilas — who explore trauma, memory, and empowerment. The show, on view through September 4, invites the public to imagine a reality where strength is found in vulnerability expressed through text, photography, sculpture, drawing, mixed media, installation, video and participatory actions. Together the artists hold space for the community to witness transformation, healing, and the search for resolution. Each artist’s unique narrative traces their lived experience of trauma to re-envision a healing journey.

The audio and video works by Cabral, Svetvilas, and Cope echo patterns, routines, and the search to reclaim oneself. Cabral’s audio of a string of words that reflect women’s cycles accompanies her photo series “Conceptives” as an abstraction of association and disassociation, while Svetvilas’ video reveals fierce repetitive cleansing to exhaustive ends. The similar patterned and visceral attempts to generate healing manifest in Cope’s video performance, where rhythmic chanting and crossing out harmful internalized words are acts of reclamation.

This multifaceted and multi-media exhibition gives the viewers the opportunity to explore narratives of trauma with empathy and a vehicle to share space with those who identify with the challenges and healing power of resilience.

The opening reception will be on August 21 from 6-8 p.m. A community workshop will be offered, virtually and in person, on August 14 from 1-3 p.m. Participants’ works will be displayed in the community gallery, “Quilting Stories.” An artists’ panel will be held on August 28 from 1-3 p.m., virtually and in person; and a closing drum ceremony is on September 4 from 1-3 p.m. A 3-D virtual exhibition will be available at Artworks’ website at artworkstrenton.org.