Daughters of Mary, Daughters of Chile

1990-1991
30 x 26 x 19.5cm, Wood, metal, ceramic, wax.

A condemnation of rape as an ‘accepted’ form of political and military harassment. This is a response to events in Chile. These works are inspired by Rozanne’s horror at rape as a weapon of war in Chile, and the torture of female prisoners of war. Yet through talking to Rozanne and seeing the pieces alongside her other works, it’s clear that these pieces are influenced by Rozanne’s own experiences: of pregnancy, motherhood, loss and the pain of childhood. In Daughters, the binding of the stomach refers to Catholicism, and superstitions and rituals around pregnancy, with the binding intended to stop deformities in the womb – the dead bird inside a clear reference to Rozanne’s own experiences of thalidomide. In Rozanne’s words: "We were in Spain and heard about what was happening in Chile, and then later thinking about Catholicism and early superstitions around pregnancy. So yes it is both personal and worldwide.