Artist honours rape survivor Gisèle Pelicot at National Mosaic Art Exhibition

Dianne Sonnenberg stands in front of her mosaic titled "Turtle Island" in Toronto, on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fatima Raza

TORONTO — One artist’s work at a mosaic exhibition in Toronto is honouring a French sexual abuse survivor who galvanized a global movement to better protect women.

Valerie Brownell remembers closely following Gisèle Pelicot during the trial in her case.

Titled Gisèle and the Unity of Women, Brownell’s piece is on display at the National Mosaic Art Exhibition in the city’s west end.

Pelicot, 72, was drugged and raped by her husband, who was found guilty of inviting dozens of strangers to also abuse her over nearly a decade.

Today, she is lauded globally for her courage in testifying against her abusers, and paving the way for consent to be included in France’s legal definition of rape.

“Many women showed their support for her by coming to the trial, to the courthouse every day and chanting ‘shame is changing sides,’” Brownell said.

For several months after the trial, Brownell, who is also the president of Mosaic Artists of Canada, thought about the design of the mosaic and the materials she would use to bring her feelings to life.

Seeing that turnout and the related marches and rallies inspired Brownell.

“Mosaics is not a fast art form by any means. Every piece is cut by hand, so every piece of marble, every piece of glass, it’s all cut by hands,” Brownell said.

In her piece, Brownell represents the abusers as a long line of nails. These nails curve and run through the blue smalti, also known as mosaic glass, which represents Pelicot’s world.

On either side of the line of nails, Brownell said she used grey marble to represent the dark shadow the men have left on the world.

“Part of the mosaic is fragmented and that’s how I wanted to show that her world was fragmented by this event,” Brownell said.

Yet, at her core, Pelicot retained her femininity, Brownell said, which is represented by the gold smalti. That and the warm tones of the marble around Pelicot’s world represent the women in her corner, she said.

“The theme for the show is unity and I felt these women coming together to support her shows female unity and that it could be a powerful force,” Brownell said.

Brownell began working in mosaics over 25 years ago, leaving her job as a lab technologist to focus on her craft. Today, she is an internationally acclaimed artist.

Other pieces in the exhibition, which runs until Sept. 12 and features works from 34 professional and emerging Canadian artists, include micro-mosaics, 3D sculptures and textured wall pieces.

“When I heard that the theme was unity, I thought that that would be a perfect way to express unity through the land, which is something that’s very important to me as an Indigenous person,” said Dianne Sonnenberg, whose work is also featured in the exhibition. Sonnenberg is Ojibwe from Chippewas of Rama First Nation

In her mosaic titled Turtle Island, Sonnenberg used stone, slate and semi-precious gems to represent the turtle shell.

On top of the turtle’s shell, she put ribbons of textile patterns, symbolizing different cultures in the country.

She said her work was inspired by the realization that people, despite their own unique qualities and identities, are alike at their core.

“In many ways, we’re so much the same. A lot of the patterns that are developed here in North America or in the Middle East or in Asia, they’re very similar to each other, and that’s what I wanted to express,” she said.

An awards and reception ceremony will be held on Sept. 11 where a jury will deliver recognitions like Best in Show, Innovation Award, Emerging Artist Award and Juror’s Choice Award. The public can also make their votes in person at the gallery or online for a People’s Choice Award. The prize is $150 for Best in Show and $50 for every other award.

Most of the exhibited work, including Brownell’s pieces, can be purchased at the gallery. Other small original mosaics, donated by artists from across Canada and beyond, are also available to purchase in support of Mosaic Artists of Canada.

“Experience the mosaics, get up close,” Brownell said, encouraging everyone who can to come support the show and learn more about the art form.

The exhibition is being held at Neilson Park Creative Centre at 56 Neilson Drive.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 9, 2025.

Fatima Raza, The Canadian Press