Often times when people go through circumstances, struggles, and pain, they express it through their giftings, such as singing, theatrical performances, and art to bring comfort and relief to themselves.

These were the thoughts expressed by one of the E.R. Burrowes School of Art students, Latoya Greene, who spoke to the issue of domestic violence against women.
Greene shared with Pepperpot Magazine that her paintings reflect her own life, having been a victim of domestic violence.
“I would like to advocate that violence against women must be totally eradicated or somewhat lessened in Guyana because we are finding in recent times, more and more women are dying because of domestic violence,” Greene told the Pepperpot Magazine.

Her pieces depict the strength of women who have recovered and come out of domestic violence situations.
She also noted that she tried not to show the graphic images that occur in an abusive situation.
“I decided to focus on issues that are important to us, such as childbearing. As a result, people need to have respect for the female,” Greene told the Pepperpot Magazine.
Greene recalled that because of her burning passion for the issue, she has hopes to help scores of women to garner the strength to come out of the situation they are in helping.
Greene also shared that coming out of a domestic violence situation for her is a great determination to first of all want to come out and has been over the years to express the overcoming of this situation through her work.

“You must your significance and value as a woman to your love partner, your children, and to yourself. For me, walking away was very hard, but I must not stay in any such situation because I have daughters, and I would not like them to find themselves in situations like what I found myself in,” Greene said.
Greene believes that education is one of the ways that you can come out of domestic violence. According to her, it is helpful if women in that situation are able to begin to realise what the perpetrator is going through mentally. If there is a realisation that there is no change, staying with the person is a risk.

Latoya Greene, a Guyanese-born visual artist is driven by a stated desire to empower women and call to attention to issues of violence affecting them.
She works in the field of abstraction and seeks to inform viewers of the priceless contribution that women have made to society.
Her art serves to remind the public that knowledge and strength can be found in a woman and she is determined to have her artwork support this important issue utilising modern and bold approaches to abstraction and her multidisciplinary nature.

Greene is determined to create more knowledgeable societies for the empowerment of women.
“ Don’t hold yourself back from being an artist, because as I like to say, as long as you can write, you can draw. It is all about your determination to focus on what you would like to achieve and get it done,“ Greene said.