The sale of artworks painted by convicted drug mule Bronwyn Atherton in a Peruvian prison could bring the former Ulladulla woman one step closer to freedom.
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Bronwyn’s work is on exhibition at the Dunn Lewis Centre until January, with all proceeds from the sale of paintings to help meet the 29-year-old’s legal and medical expenses.
Jailed in 2008 after being caught attempting to carry 18 kilograms of cocaine through Peru’s Lima airport, Bronwyn is serving a 14-year sentence in the Santa Monica Women’s Prison.
Her mother Robyn told the Times that Bronwyn was preparing to launch an appeal in an effort to reduce her sentence and the sale of her artwork would help meet her legal costs.
While the former Ulladulla High School student’s plight has been kept intentionally low-key by the family, Robyn said she hoped local residents would lend their support by purchasing one of her daughter’s paintings or by making a financial contribution.
The exhibition will run in the Alley Gallery until January 16, 2015.
More than 40 paintings, created by Bronwyn while in prison, will be on sale, with prices ranging from $100 to $340 each.
Seven works were sold at a pre-exhibition gathering of family and friends in Ulladulla last Monday night and Robyn said the sale of the remaining paintings would significantly help Bronwyn’s fight for freedom.
The funds would also ensure Bronwyn had access to clean water, food and medication as she is living with HIV.
“I send her about $400 a month and the sale of just one painting could help pay for food and medical expenses for that amount of time,” she said.
Bronwyn and her family are doing all they can to bring her back to Australia and her lawyers last week lodged an application for her case to be reviewed following a recent diagnosis of bi-polar and epilepsy.
“She is serving 14 years - the same as a murder charge - and we hope that, based on her medical diagnosis, that she may be permitted to apply for parole or have her sentence reduced,” Robyn said.
“The lawyers are arguing the case that she may not have been of sound mind when she made the decision to do what she did.
“We are waiting to see if it will proceed to court.”
She said dealing with the Peruvian authorities and legal system for the past six years had been a “nightmare” for the family.
Bronwyn, her parents Robyn and Paul, and her two older siblings Kate and Craig, moved to Ulladulla in 1993 and she attended St Marys primary school in Milton, Ulladulla Public School and Ulladulla High School before relocating to Wollongong in the year 2000.
At the age of 16 and became pregnant, giving birth to a son, Shamaya, who died three years later of a constricted bowel.
Seeking an escape after losing her son and being raped, Bronwyn left Australia and went travelling around Mozambique and South Africa where she discovered she had contracted HIV from the rapist.
She became involved with a Nigerian drug gang and was raped twice more before being taken to Peru and agreeing to carry a suitcase containing cocaine from Lima to Amsterdam for a promised payment of $15,000.
Robyn told the Times for the past six years, her daughter’s only “escape” was to paint and make jewellery in the prison which also houses babies and children aged up to three years.
“Bronwyn paints murals for shows and concerts that the women and children put on in the jail,” she said.
“She has always loved art and her painting and music, along with letters and emails from family and friends, are her lifeblood.”
“By purchasing a painting, people will not only be helping Bronwyn financially, they will be recognising and supporting her drive to do things that she gets pleasure from.”
Robyn and Paul are living in Harden and said they have had ongoing support from friends and family still living in Ulladulla.
She said, the family was “coping” and getting on with their fight to bring Bronwyn home.
“We are doing all we can and at the moment it’s just about her survival and keeping her in good health.”
People can send messages to Bronwyn or make donations via a Facebook her mum has set up: Support Bronwyn Atherton