Art exists to evoke emotion—even if that emotion is shock and discomfort. Italian multimedia artist and activist AleXsandro Palombo’s work often uses those emotions to draw attention to current issues. His most recent series—part of a campaign to end violence against women—has sparked anger and outrage in some, and praise by others. The artist shared altered images of prominent female political figures, including Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Queen Letizia of Spain and others to appear as though they were victims of domestic abuse. 

The artist’s intent is likely to draw attention to domestic assault by putting it on faces that are well known. Palombo did a similar series with celebrities in 2015; bringing political figures into this recent work could be a criticism of the legal system’s failure to protect domestic abuse victims. The altered photographs are paired with sentences like, “She reported him…but nobody believed her.” On Instagram, the artist writes that “a State that does not protect but leaves women alone in the hands of their tormentor becomes a silent accomplice.”

Palombo’s Photoshopped images have garnered a number of comments supporting the artist for bringing attention to the issue, with several Instagrammers calling Palombo brave. Some have even shared their own stories of domestic abuse. With one in three women experiencing some form of domestic violence in their lifetime, Palombo is drawing attention to a common women’s issue.

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But, others are more critical of the series. One commenter said that the series lacked respect, another that the artist was “mentally challenged.” Palombo, whose work regularly depicts women’s issues from breast cancer to menstrual equity, may also be ignoring another common women’s rights issue: consent.

According to The Sun, the domestic violence campaign’s Photoshopped image of Kate Middleton appears to have been used without Buckingham Palace’s permission and have so far been spotted on bus stops and buildings in Milan and Spain. It’s unclear if the artist received permission from the photographer of the original image, or the other women, to use the images. The artist received similar criticism from his earlier domestic abuse series back in 2015 that used celebrities rather than political figures. An editorial at the time pointed out that “domestic abuse is as much about consent as it is about violence.”

If the artist did indeed not request permission from the women in the photographs, he could face legal battles over the series. Attorney (and Rangefinder contributor) Aaron M. Arce Stark said that, under U.S. law, the series could face issues with the right of privacy as well as defamation. “They have the right to control how their likeness is used,” Stark says, explaining that U.S. law requires permission from the person in the photograph when used for commercial purposes. The images in the series have been used in campaigns including printed at bus stops and on the side of buildings.

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“There’s also a defamation issue, too,” Stark adds. “If their photo is being used and it’s manipulated to show markings on their body that are not there, that’s a false statement. They likely have a cause of action because [the artist is] publishing something about them that’s not true.” (The series includes women from multiple countries, including the U.S., which complicates potential enforcement, Stark also notes.)

If Palombo also did not obtain permission from the original photographer, there could be a third potential legal issue with the series. Stark notes that Fair Use law allows for copyrighted work to be used in a way that’s transformative. But, he notes, transformative work often means using a different medium, such as using a photograph as inspiration for a painting. Fair use, he added, is a legal defense and not a law that can prevent the lawsuit in the first place.