Barefoot Painting

Sasha H. Denhaene studied psychology at the University of Antwerp and worked for many years as a therapist on themes such as relationship, sexuality and eating disorders, always based on a strong emancipatory commitment. She currently works as a writer, poet, painter and illustrator from her workshop in Antwerp. Her paintings offer a sharp look at injustice based on gender and focuses on gender equality. She portrays women from around the world to fight against all forms of gender discrimination; practices such as femail genital mutilation, rape, abuse, intimidation, etc. She made a series of paintings of raped women in DR Congo (now finally getting more attention with Dr. Mukwege’s Nobel Prize for Peace) and other strong women such as Zineb El Rhazoui (who remembers…Charlie Hebdo), Mama Masika, etc. In her writing, Sasha deals with these heavy subjects in a unique, light-hearted way with her infectious, absurd humor, making us think. She explores how our flexible, resourceful human brain legitimizes almost anything in the name of god, money, race or whatever…as long as it has a name. In her poems she fights the great fears that taunt us, little people. Those fears often accompany us throughout our lives; Primary fears of both children and adults: fear of the dark, fear of going to sleep, fear of death, fear of loneliness and fear of regret… All these things may seem far apart, but in the end they form a whole: giving a voice to what we all too often or too gladly forget…