The exhibition called ‘Apotheosis’ is on now and will run to June 26 at Great Lakes TAFE gallery, and will also feature artists Carly Jones with Life as I know it, Karen Brown with A Walk in Time and Michael Jurss with Stealing light.

Rebecca’s series in the exhibition sheds light on the realities of the darkness and isolation she felt as a victim of domestic violence. 

“I had dreams of a family, a home and a future growing old securely and happily,” Rebecca said, reflecting on her decision to marry her partner of two years. 

“[He] had lost his temper on two occasions prior to our marriage and I, blinded by the dream, put it down to a man having a temper tantrum.”

After having a “beautiful wedding together surrounded by close family and friends”, Rebecca’s husband started treating her differently.

“He started being demanding with very little regard to anything I had to say.”

After the wedding they stayed in Sydney for just three days before Rebecca found that asking simple questions like “can we go to breakfast soon?” would lead her faced with a barrage of words and insults.

At six weeks pregnant, her morning sickness and her newly wed husband’s behaviour had left her in a tailspin.

“He was screaming, demanding, irrational and threatening.”

When the couple returned to everyday life, Rebecca continued her work as a public servant and living permanently with “a man in my home that was clearly unwell.”

“When he was at his worst I would take my little dog Diva out for a walk. 

“I was walking the streets at all hours too ashamed to admit that my dream had turned into a nightmare. 

“When I tried to tell people I would be faced with statements such as ‘you knew what you were getting into’, and ‘this is just the first 12 months of marriage, everyone struggles for 12 months’. 

“After ten weeks and his refusal to attend counselling with me and two calls to the police, I asked him to leave and stated that the relationship was over. I moved home to my family to have our little girl.”

Five years on and 20 appearances in the family law court, countless appeals to legal aid, police, court and help lines, Rebecca wants to use her art to help society and the government understand the inner silence of domestic violence.

“Studying art helped me express and understand it all,” explained Rebecca. 

“[Now] I want to use my art to create enough support to force the government to act.

“This is ever more present with the new budget that did not allocate any new funds to the already stretched support networks. 

“There are many women trapped for financial reasons and fear of repercussions of leaving an abusive person. I want to use my experience to speak for those so trapped. I want to challenge the government for their lack of understanding and support for victims of violence. 

“[We must] band together, support each other and understand each other, so that society can stop believing that violence against women is okay.”

The exhibition Apotheosis, will run to June 26 at Great Lakes TAFE gallery.