Albanian artist Elga Mitre has created a book of 10 stories from women that have survived domestic violence. She has illustrated it with her own artwork.
The book, available in electronic format is entitled “10 Women, 10 Stories, Stories that Challenge the World”.
Mitre spent several months collecting personal accounts from Albanian women, spanning various locations and of all ages. She then compiled them into the book and added her own illustrations for each story.
The book, in Albanian for now, seeks to challenge the perception that domestic violence is something that only happens to certain kinds of people. It demonstrates the different forms that domestic violence can take and that it can happen to anyone, from any background or walk of life. Furthermore, it tells the story of women who’ve had the courage to leave and to seek out a better life, free from abuse and fear.
Mitre started painting and similar projects at the age of 40 while looking to create and foster positivity within herself and in the community. She held her first exhibition at Europe House in Tirana in October 2019.
She said she was inspired to create the book following the 4 June march in Tirana that saw thousands of people take to the streets to protest against the endemic violence, sexual assault, and sexism in the country. She made a call for participants on social media and the responses started pouring in.
“Every time I received a letter and a confession in my inbox, my heart started pounding.”
She added that she hopes people will read them with an open mind and without judgement.
“I very much hope that you make the journey of these stories without judging, without pointing the finger, without thinking what percentage of truths are inside, without setting boundaries for your mind and soul. I hope you see each story with the eyes of mind and soul. Maybe a story, a character, a piece of storytelling will seem familiar to you. It may motivate you to delve deeper into your memories.”
The book can be viewed and downloaded here.
