“The times they offer us food is scarce and the best food there is to eat is in the commissary.” -Excerpt from letter
Artist statement: “My purpose with this piece was to recognize and celebrate the power of love and hope that burns in the hearts of [detained] women, illustrated by a single sunflower. Few of us can imagine the nightmare of what it means to be detained, of being exposed to all the violence, the darkness, the abuse and trauma. Of having to spend every day in a place where food is sometimes a luxury, where your children are scared and cold, where mothers try to remember the warmth of home to keep themselves going – a place that does its best to strip you of all your dignity and light little by little. These women are not victims, they are luchadoras, fighters, and we must remember that. They fight every day to protect their children and to survive the darkness. I want to honor that strength and that love, which shines bright even in the most oppressive conditions and to honor their urgent request for action: ‘yo les pido que por favor nos brinden su ayuda// I ask you to please help us.” -Rommy Torrico