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A celebrated young British artist uses her gift to convey the dignity and resilience of women survivors of violence in forgotten corners of the world.
This debut art book by British artist and human rights activist Hannah Rose Thomas presents her stunning portrait paintings of Yazidi women who escaped ISIS captivity, Rohingya women who fled violence in Myanmar, and Nigerian women who survived Boko Haram violence, alongside their own words, stories, and self-portraits. A final chapter features portraits and stories of Afghan, Ukrainian, Uyghur, and Palestinian women.
These portraits, depicting women from three continents and three religions, are a visual testimony not only of war and injustice but also of humanity and resilience. Many of the women have suffered sexual violence; all have been persecuted and forcibly displaced on account of their faith or ethnicity.
Hannah Rose Thomas met these women in Iraqi Kurdistan, Bangladeshi refugee camps, and Northern Nigeria while organizing art projects to teach women how to paint their self-portraits as a way to reclaim their personhood and self-worth. She gives women their own voice both by creating a safe space for them to share their stories and by using her impressive connections to make sure their stories are heard in places of influence in the Global North.
Thomas uses techniques of traditional sacred art – early Renaissance tempera and oil painting and gold leaf – to convey the sacred value of each of these women in spite of all that they have suffered. This symbolic restoration of dignity is especially important considering the stigma surrounding sexual violence. Hannah’s work attests to the power of the arts as a vehicle for healing, remembering, inclusion, and dialogue.
Long after the news cameras have moved on to the next conflict, this book shines a spotlight on the ongoing work of healing and restoration in some of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities around the world.
All publisher profits from this book will be donated to relevant charities.
"Portraits of Yazidi, Rohingya, and Nigerian Women" by Hannah Rose Thomas is a profound tribute to highlight the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities around the world, whose sufferings remain largely unseen, unknown and unheard of. Hannah showcases their horrifying stories in her poignant artwork for the whole world to see. Her paintings serve to alleviate the soul-scarring trauma of the most vulnerable, marginalised people worldwide by lifting them above their sufferings. In her paintings, Hannah vividly captures the stoic courage, true nobility, serene dignity, remarkable resilience and extraordinary compassion of these women who have suffered so heartbreakingly. A remarkable painter of exceptional artistic skills, Hannah is a true storyteller extraordinaire. "Tears of Gold" simultaneously testifies to the excruciating sufferings of fellow beings while restoring the sufferer’s humanity and self-esteem. A pervading sense of peace, a quiet, serene strength is seen in Hannah’s portraits. Her golden halos reflects the individual acts of resurrection. The portraits of the survivors represent a new beginning again on an altered scale. The self-portraits enables victims of atrocities to process traumatic memories to heal and reclaim their own voices and inherent dignity. Hannah taught the women how to paint their self-portraits to share their stories with the world. Some women painted themselves with tears of gold, inspiring the title of this one-of-a-kind, life-transforming book, for here are the self-effacing faces and extremely traumatic stories of extraordinary women of great self-worth, who take the world by storm because of their sacrifices.
Foreword by HRH The Prince Charles, former Prince of Wales
Preface by Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad al-Hussein, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Art of Attention
An Introduction by Hannah Rose Thomas
Portraits of Yazidi Women
Who Escaped ISIS Captivity
Portraits of Rohingya Women
Refugees from Myanmar
Portraits of Nigerian Women
Survivors of Boko Haram and Fulani Violence
Portraits from Other Conflicts
Afghan, Ukrainian, Uyghur, and Palestinian Women
Afterword by Christopher Bailey, World Health Organization
