Study for Visions from the Inside

This image is a derivative work of the original piece, Visions from the Inside.

I created this piece to depict both the dignity and the suffering that women endure in for-profit detention centers. Immigrant women detained in Karnes County Detention Center have endured physical abuse, rape by prison guards, and the constant sicknesses of their children. In this piece, I wanted to represent the ways in which immigrant prisons degrade and abuse women. I used a jagged brush stroke to show the harshness of detention, as well as the human suffering of families who come to this country in search of a safe haven. This piece served as a reminder us that family detention was a frequent strategy expanded and sanctioned by the Obama Administration.