Abused women's stories inspire Leicester art exhibition
Artwork inspired by women who have suffered violence and abuse is to go on display in Leicester.
Artist Lis Naylor produced eight pieces after spending a day hearing about the experiences of women in the city.
She worked with the Zinthaya Trust, a charity which supports people affected by poverty and abuse, to put together the exhibition called Untold Stories.
It opens at the BetaX exhibition space in Church Gate on Monday.
rust invited a number of people to meet the artist who said she wanted to tell the stories of underrepresented women.
Ms Naylor said: "This project makes people aware of the issues that some of these marginalised groups of women face. 
"I want to get the message across that however much pain these women have experienced, they are worthy, valued, empowered, and have a bright future.
"It was an honour and a privilege to have these women share their stories with us and I have the utmost respect for them.
"They talked about their gardens, their homes and the animals they loved."
She said she had developed works that featured an outline of the women with the face of their "spirit animal", holding a placard with a message to their perpetrator.
A spokeswoman for the Zinthaya Trust said: "The women were 100% engaged in the workshop.
"They took part, they wanted to collaborate and it made them think about what they like and enjoy. Through this project they came out of their shells and opened up to new people."
kets for the exhibition are free and it runs until 30 November.
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