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Paper short abstract

Exploring non-binary lives in Bangladesh, this study uses art-based storytelling to reveal marginalization and trauma, while fostering healing, visibility, and empowerment through creative folk narratives

Paper long abstract

Art has long served as a profound healer, setting humans apart from other species. In Bangladesh, religion and politics dominate public life, leaving non-binary individuals particularly vulnerable. They face constant pressures from religious misinterpretations, societal dogmas, and systemic denial of dignity, recognition, and legal rights within families, communities, and the state.

This study explores these lived realities through art. Seventeen artists collaborated across diverse media to represent the experiences of three non-binary individuals. Their testimonies revealed deprivation in acceptance, education, nutrition, healthcare—including sexual and reproductive health—bodily autonomy, and equitable employment.

Using an Art-Based Research Methodology, participants processed trauma while articulating their experiences. Workshops and art camps in two university spaces created platforms for non-binary voices, making human rights issues visible through narrative art. A subsequent exhibition highlighted art’s power as advocacy, especially where radical ideologies limit freedoms. Audiences witnessed how artistic interventions affirm rights, empower communities, and enable social and emotional healing.

Non-binary narratives, often silenced or ignored, were presented as living tapestries: poignant lyrics, dramatic monologues, narratives adapted into scripts, vibrant canvases and installations, rhythmic music, and expressive dance. Each artwork communicated collective anguish, frustration, and longing for recognition. Together, these forms became vessels of truth, carrying non-binary voices and demanding acknowledgment of their humanity. The project situates contemporary non-binary experiences within folk narrative research, demonstrating how art can transform trauma into healing, visibility, and advocacy in Bangladeshi society.