My name is Roberta Aita and I am a designer and illustrator. With my drawings I try to tell stories, spicing up the reality with a bit of the oniric world. I like to find the inner magic in people and explore the small gestures that can touch humans’ hearts. I am here to share One for all, my recent series of portraits of womxn who have experienced any kind of sexual harassment. The goal of the project is simply to celebrate their courage by sharing their story and maybe to inspire other womxn to do the same. ©Roberta Aita, At the window.
Pen and watercolors on paper, 10 x 17 cm.
Used with permission.
It is not a happy project. It started from a strong feeling of rage. One Tuesday morning I woke up with a friend’s message telling me that she couldn’t go back to her place the night before because a man harassed her in the street. He started saying inappropriate things to her and almost followed her to an Uber. This didn’t feel right. She was scared and I felt powerless, mad and upset. The first portrait was of her and it was just my way to tell her “I hear you”. After sharing the first portraits on my social media pages, other friends opened up to me. It was not easy. All of them told me about this wound that for some has healed, for some was still fresh.
©Roberta Aita, A. - I was not myself. And the day after didn't
feel right. Oil pastels on paper, 58 x 42 cm. Used with permission.
And this is what I want to share with my drawings: the fact that their wounds did not affect the way I see them. They are still beautiful powerful creatures that went through an assault that society does not address enough. But those things that are considered as “not that big” - cat calling, not consensual d*ckpics, sexual intercourses while one of the partners is not 100% conscious, are what make a womxn scared to freely live their daily (and her sex) life.
The style that I have picked for these portraits is a bit different from how I usually draw: it’s an instinctive gesture that I have found easy to experiment with oil pastel. My womxn aren’t doing anything. They are just looking at you, showing some part of their soul.
©Roberta Aita, C. - I ran into the uber crying and screaming "I don't know him". Oil pastels on paper, 58 x 42 cm. Used with permission.
The most difficult part of this project is to find new stories to tell. I do realize that it can be hard to open up to a stranger, but it might also be a way to start the healing process. Please be aware that you can reach out to me. I will hear/read at your stories with no judgment. I will take it as a gift, truly. Do not hesitate to contact me, on instagram or via email. We’ll find a way to build the process together!
Here are my contact details:
Instagram - @aita.tinyillustrations