Artistic Representations of Suffering

Suffering, as observed by every sage and human alike, is abundant the world over. It occupies our thoughts and rouses our emotions. It drives our actions even when painful memories are repressed. Alleviating and avoiding suffering yet to come, whether our own or those with whom we empathize, is the focus of many of our activities in the present. Moreover, suffering spurs attempts at healing as well as the martial "arts." It is a stimulus for humanitarians and activists, as well as a subject wrestled with by theologians, moral philosophers, political theorists and psychologists. This volume investigates the relationship between art and suffering. In short, the contributors to this volume collectively demonstrate that suffering is an undisputed and shareable motivating experience.
This collection features original essays that focus on the subject of art and suffering, including topics such as the representation of violence and the intersections of art and human rights. Some of the key questions explored are as follows:
How has suffering motivated artists around the world?
How have artists used their platforms to call attention to human rights abuses?
How can suffering be incorporated responsibly and ethically in works of art?
What role does art play in the struggle against violations of human dignity and the promotion of building a more equitable world?
This volume brings together a group of scholars and artists that cross both disciplinary and national borders. It covers three major areas of study: approaches to art and suffering; the question of artistic expression and suffering; and a final section that offers creative reflections by scholars on the subject matter at hand. Contributors from a variety of fields meditate on the relationship between art and suffering, including cultural historians, philosophers, literary and religious studies scholars, psychologists, jurists, and cultural theorists.
Each essay is complemented by full-color reproductions of artistic works that illustrate the concepts being discussed, including a graphic essay on the topic of "comfort women."