Nick Cave's Soundsuits are wearable sculptures that function as both protection and a means of exploring systemic issues, particularly race and gender. They were created in response to the 1992 beating of Rodney King, symbolizing a need for protection and obscuring the wearer's identity to force viewers to consider the impact of systemic violence. The Soundsuits are fully enveloping, hiding age, gender, race, and body shape so that attention shifts away from individual identity and toward the broader issues at play. Cave uses materials like beads, buttons, sequins, fabrics, twigs, and wire—items that evoke everyday life but are recontextualized in high-art settings. The Soundsuits are also performative; Cave often activates them through movement, with the materials producing sound as the wearer moves. The Soundsuits have inspired artists and communities to engage in dialogue about race, gender, and violence, showing how art can be a tool for social change and healing.