Nr. 2 Innocent

Innocent No. 2 portrays a Black woman in her thirties, a mother of two, living with a husband who uses her as a punching bag. She does everything in her power to hide the violence from her young children—covering bruises and wounds with clothing and makeup, carrying the weight of silence alone. Fear keeps her from leaving, and the belief that her children need their father holds her in place. After all, he is a good father to them.

One evening, after her husband had been drinking, the violence escalated so severely that she ended up in the hospital. It was there that she removed her blindfold and finally saw him for who he truly was. In that moment of clarity, she chose life. She refused the possibility of her children growing up without a mother, and innocence gave way to survival, truth, and the courage to see.

Medium:oil on canvas

Size: 50x70cm