Artist: Niki Boytchuk-Hale
Year: 2021
Material: Vinyl Transfer
Purchase Information: Queen’s University Human Rights & Equity Office, Queen’s Consensual Humans Club, and the Alma Mater Society
Location: Front façade of Harrison-LeCaine Hall
A Love that Clings highlights some of the many ways we can show up with consent in mind for our community and ourselves. A necessary step is acknowledging the range of lived experiences, specifically for Indigenous, Black and People of Colour, 2SLGTBQQIA folks, the disabled community, and women.
The idea of bringing a consent-themed mural to campus was initiated by Queen’s Consensual Humans, a student club founded in 2017 to promote the importance of consent in all areas of campus culture. It was designed by Queen’s fine arts student Niki Boytchuk-Hale.
For her design, Boytchuk-Hale aimed to capture a multitude of perspectives and lived experiences. The mural features dots throughout, which serve as a symbol for the statistic that 1 in 4 North American women will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime. A red ribbon skirt acts as a reminder of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ peoples, while the dove represents profound peace. The honeysuckle is used across cultures to represent bonds of love; a love that clings without harming anyone.