Playing Dead

Severe traumatic events can elicit all sorts of psychological coping mechanisms, one of which is dissociation. Dissociation leaves individuals teetering on the edge of sanity in the name of self preservation and allows the mind to temporarily "disconnect" from overwhelming emotions and experiences to best increase the chances of getting out alive.​

97% of women aged between 18 and 24 in the UK have experienced sexual harassment or assault.​​

In 'Playing Dead' Maisie Avis invites the viewer to be immersed into a hyper-saturated paracosm. This project explores the unseen spaces which appear in moments of dissociation, the artists fantasy world allow them to escape reality and navigate traumatic events through vibrant detailed imagery.​