Kat Shaw

NAME: Kat Shaw
PLATFORM & USERNAME: Insta @katshawartist / Facebook @katshawartist
CENSORSHIP: Account ban, Content Ban, Shadow Ban

What reason was given for your ban?

Sexual exploitation and sexual solicitation.

Why do you think your post(s) was censored?

Because I paint nipples and empower women and go against the patriarchy.

Were you able to appeal and what was the response?

Yes and every appeal was rejected, this has been going on for years.

What effect has your experience of censorship had on you?

My first 30-day restriction was for sharing a painting I had done of a new mum.  In our society we are taught to hide the imperfections, so instead, I painted and shared her glorious post-partum body with stretchmarks and a poem, in a way to inspire women to see their bodies as something to be celebrated and not hidden away.  This was then reinforced by removing and hiding the picture – I was blocked from Instagram and Facebook for 30 days.

I have since been blocked and restricted from Facebook and Instagram almost monthly for the last 3 years, with multiple posts being taken down. I had my Youtube channel deleted and am not allowed to post on TikTok.

2 years ago, I worked on a project called Golden Warriors, which focussed on the breasts of Goddesses who had been touched by cancer.  I painted 15 women who had survived cancer and made it into an awareness calendar where 100% of profits went to two cancer charities – Wigs for Heroes and Coppafeel.  This project was removed and I was blocked, I could not sell as many calendars as I had hoped, reducing what could have been valuable and needed funds for breast cancer charities.

Here is the link to this particular project: https://katshaw.art/projects/golden-warriors/

I then ran a PRIVATE group called “self-love sisters” and for 6 days, we wrote self-love affirmations onto our flesh and shared the photos with each other as an empowerment exercise.  This private group was shut down on day 6 and I was threatened to have my whole account taken down.  As my business is all on Facebook and Instagram, I could not risk that and had to stop.

Here is the link to that project too: https://katshaw.art/projects/self-love-project/

I live under the cloud of shadow banning and with over 15,000 followers on Facebook, my reach is now restricted to maybe 100 max. It pisses me off – I could speak about this subject for hours and have many photos saved with ridiculous accusations from Insta and Facebook.

You will see many other projects on my page, and the majority of them have caused me to be censored at one time or another.

What’s one thing you want people to know about this topic?

Censorship is NOT ok, especially when it is unfair, selective and not consistent.