Medusa defeats Perseus

This charcoal piece was an act of self-care for me. Medusa, historically a villain, has been recontextualized and claimed by victims of sexual violence. However, all of the famous paintings and sculptures representing her fight with Perseus-- specifically, her severed head being hung from his hands. In my interpretation, Medusa does not see such a grisly end. Medusa prevails over her aggressor, and over sexual violence as a whole.