Mother-daughter exhibit speaks for abused girls

A mother-daughter art exhibit explores the pain and stigma of abuse against girls and women. Photo: Courtesy
A mother-daughter art exhibit explores the pain and stigma of abuse against girls and women. Photo: Courtesy

Mérida, Yucatán — The silence…

When a human being is violated, that person’s mind goes into defense mode and creates a protective shield, hiding in the silence. This confinement then keeps the victim imprisoned, their spirit confused and buried in conflict and pain.

Harassment and sexual abuse in girls and young women has become a daily practice, desensitizing many to the damage that this is doing to our society. These girls suffer from emotional, psychological and psychiatric disorders and, as if this were not enough, they are stigmatized and marginalized in their community.

Photo: Aura Meztli
Photo: Aura Meztli

The phenomenon is not new, but the reality of it is becoming more and more apparent. The testimonies of the victims, many of them pregnant before their time, have become so frequent that they are now the norm.

A mother-daughter art exhibit at Mérida's City Museum explores the pain and stigma of abuse against girls and women. Photo: Courtesy
A mother-daughter art exhibit at Mérida’s City Museum explores the pain and stigma of abuse against girls and women. Photo: Courtesy

Two local artists are dedicated to help eradicate this injustice through their creativity.

The drawings by a young artist named Aura Meztli were the starting point for this project. They led to the creation of a series of striking sculptures by her mother, Melva Medina, interpreting her daughter’s work. The sculptures denounce instances of abuse against girls and young women.   

Meztli has also used her drawings to empower women through her collection of fashion designs. She invites girls and women to wear them with dignity and poise, proudly showing their posture as women who are strong and cherished.

Aura Meztli:  

“The dress is an empowering tool for women. It has the ability to restore their security, their self-worth and their self-esteem. All women have the right to feel secure, loved, beautiful and sensual, while at the same time dressing how they want, without being harassed or disrespected.”

Follow Aura Meztli’s Facebook page.

Melva Medina

“Now is the moment for all women and men of conscience to take a common stand and act to change the customs and practices that hurt this fragile sector of our population”

Click for larger image of the exhibit's poster.
Click for larger image of the exhibit’s poster.

The exhibit Silent Prey, which includes examples of drawing, sculpture and fashion design, opens Wednesday, Dec. 14 at the City Museum of Mérida. The VIP event, at 7:30 p.m., includes a silent auction to benefit Fundación BAI, which provided the information in this report.

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