Powerful, meaningful art with a message about violence against women

I made this artwork for my art class in high school, I was 18, and living in South Africa attending an international school placed right next to Diepsloot, a slum in Johannesburg. I was writing my final dissertation on corrective rape, a phenomenon where lesbians in mostly South Africa get raped to "correct" their sexuality.

Little did I know I was a lesbian too at that time. I was also subject to an abusive childhood, but not in the way that socio-economic status and systemic racism and sexism came into play. I could feel the feeling of oppressive powerlessness and bottled up anger so deeply though, and I think that shines through in this painting. Every woman has a story of abuse, every woman knows this feeling. It's important to talk about it, because our silence gives away our power. 

Materials

Acrylic on canvas

Dimensions

50 x 70cm

Year

2014