This painting was created in 2016. It was part of a social campaign to fight violence against women. It was a spontaneous movement of young people from different countries. This is why the words on the blindfold are in Spanish…. even though I am currently based in Italy, I come from Venezuela)… they say…. “Me ama” (which means He loves me) highlights the fact that most of the psychological and physical violence against women is perpetrated by their partners, which makes it even more difficult for the victims themselves to recognize it. 

I think this little piece of artwork represents exclusion because victims of domestic violence are isolated from their families, friends, and communities. They experience feelings of shame that make it difficult to ask for help. Quite often, they do not have the economic means to leave their abusers. Naturally, violence against women is just the tip of the iceberg and it comes from a larger problem: society tends to exclude women in every field. I am referring to problems such as the gender pay gap, dream gap, institutional representation, rape culture, victim blaming, slut shaming, body shaming, catcalling, and, unfortunately, so many others. 

Inclusion means freedom.