The aim of ‘Forbidden Fruit’ exhibition was to help men and women to be more bold and open about things that may have happened to them. I have been told by many people around the world about the abuse that they have sustained in their lives.

Men too, who have been sexually abused as children by their families and had been scared to talk about it until they saw my art on Facebook. We need to take positive steps to use painting as a voice to speak the truth as we know it, see it and hear it.”

Words/artworks/images /Ruth Bircham

Ruth Bircham in conversation with Ireho Aito