Faces Seen, Voices Heard

In this powerful episode of The Art Box, host MJ speaks with Dr. Lena Cavusoglu, professor at Pacific University, about her remarkable art-based research project, Faces Seen, Voices Heard. Blending academic inquiry with visual storytelling, Dr. Cavusoglu’s work explores how society responds to people with visible facial differences—those living with birthmarks, scars, burns, or other variations that often provoke bias and misunderstanding. Through empathy and scholarship, she challenges deeply rooted perceptions of beauty and normalcy that shape how individuals are treated in classrooms, workplaces, and communities.

Dr. Cavusoglu discusses the creation of her four-piece art series, which pairs delicate hand-drawn portraits with the handwritten reflections of real participants. These works invite viewers to literally lift layers of transparent text to reveal each face beneath—transforming the act of seeing into one of understanding. The conversation encourages listeners to examine their own assumptions, discover the humanity beyond appearance, and embrace a more inclusive vision of beauty where every face, and every story, matters.