[Healing] the Shame of It All

20″ x 24″ acrylic on canvas. Hand signed and dated on the back.

This painting is a reclamation of the body; its beauty, its pain, and its power. At the heart of the piece, a figure sits curled within the protective embrace of a blooming lotus. Lotus flowers grow through mud, representing the journey of healing: growing through what once felt heavy, dirty, and hidden.

The vibrant petals are painted in deep magentas, golds, and soft flesh tones that mirror the healing stages of a bruise: reminders of emotional and physical wounds, of shame carried through generations. They speak to the weight of a lifetime of being told to hide: the shame of how a body looks, how it was used, abused, expected to perform, and how society and religion cast judgment upon women simply for existing in their skin.

Yet, amidst the darkness, this lotus radiates resilience. The same colours that once marked pain now signal transformation. It’s not about staying hidden; it’s about unfolding, layer by layer, reclaiming self-worth, and honouring the sacredness of the body.

This is not just a painting. This is an act of my own healing and reclamation. I hope it can inspire the same for you 🤍