Titilope Sonuga, Arit Okpo, Amanda Ihemebiri speak at opening event

dayo adesanya

May 8, 2017 10:38 AM

The exhibition is open from April 30th till May 14th at the Revolving Art Incubator, 2nd Floor, Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Media personality Arit Okpo at the HERE photo exhibition

Stand to End Rape Initiative in collaboration with The Initiative for Equal Rights and the Revolving Art Incubator present the HERE Exhibition.

The HERE Exhibition opening event held on 30th of April and featured conversations and spoken word with guest speakers; Titilope Sonuga, Arit Okpo, Amanda Ihemebiri and Jon Ogah.

The exhibit was created by Jumoke Sanwo of the Revolving Art Incubator who also served as the artist for most of the exhibited photos.

Yagazie Emezi is also an artist whose works contributes to the exhibition. The HERE Exhibition is a platform for sharing the stories of survivors.

The goal of the exhibition is to empower survivors of sexual violence; to break the silence and regain their freedom. The photos in this exhibition draw inspiration from real places, where rape has occurred disrupting the stigmatization people who are violated in those locations face.

It makes use of photography that blatantly hits on the facts and realities of what survivors have and are going through.

The exhibition images brings hidden stories of sexual violence to the spotlight. It’s a clear banner that says to all “Rape can happen anywhere & is never the fault of the victim” and says to the victims “Your experience is not the end of you. You can still live a full life”.

Sexual violence draws strength from the silence. The silence emboldens perpetrators and suppresses survivors. The exhibition also serves as a fundraiser for a rehabilitation center, where women and girls will be sheltered, while we are helping them to reintegrate into the society.

To this end, HERE Exhibition closing event will be marked with an open auction.

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