ABOUT THE WORK

Endaya is a printmaker, painter, feminist and human rights activist who uses her art "to be the voice of women and children" (www.saatchiart.com). In this work, she explores the human rights violations by the military in a dictatorship where women and their children were the victims. This was 1981, Martial Law era when women joined men to protest the abuses, military atrocities and human rights violations of a fascist government. These women fought for the restoration of democratic freedoms which were lost due to the dictatorship. Some of these women hid to escape torture and detention. Others were tortured, raped, murdered, "salvaged," and never found again. They left behind traumatized, motherless children and grieving family members. In this painting, Endaya reminds us to protect our democracy and uphold human rights. She teaches us to learn from our history and to impart these lessons to our children so that we can nurture future generations who are more evolved, socially conscious, and able to build a truly democratic nation.