I betrayed you
with my silence I allowed them to harm you with impunity
I was afraid
to be disliked
afraid of the inevitable change
of others finding out
So I let you suffer
in my wilful blindness
waiting for the storm to pass
in the hope to leave everything behind
Or better still, for it to never have happened
I let them do
What would you have done?
I did not know how to love you
.
Sacred Family Ties is the painting of a woman who puts family ties before human dignity.
She has sacrificed her truth for her clan. She has hidden abuse to keep the family together. She knows that what she did was wrong, but she still wants others to do the same. She has betrayed herself and it weighs on her. She feels bitter, resentful and disappointed.
Acrylic and metallic paint on canvas.
50 cm x 50 cm
2019