I painted this lovely picture today of my hysterectomy scar shortly after the operation. I’m not sure what to call it. It has a provisional title, “Hystery/Herstory: The Last Cut”, but I’m not sure if this title properly conveys what I am trying to say. Having a hysterectomy was in many ways a wonderful thing for me. It represented the end of several years of severe pain and heavy bleeding. However, it also felt like a continuation of the violence that had been done to my body as a woman and compelled me to speak out against that. It is thanks to George and Louis for organising the “SpeakOut Festival” happening at several venues next weekend and the fact that this coincides with 1 billion rising and a rise in hate crime against women amongst others, that I finally forced myself to get on with the painting. It will be exhibited at the Six Bells pub on Covent Garden Road , along with the work of Lucy Castang, Cathy Dunbar and possibly others. The exhibition will run from Monday 6th February to Sunday 19th February with a preview on Thursday 9th February.
Jill Eastland - Artist Activist 
Reblogged this on Cambridge Aromatherapy and Massage and commented:
Reblogging as I know many of my clients have had surgery that has felt like violence done on their bodies. Also many have suffered violence that has nothing to do with surgery.
Over many years I have on occasion been the one to bear witness to that first speaking out about violence and while listening to it is often painful, that pales into insignificance compared to the human being receiving the violence directly.