St. Josephine Bakhita Print

This is a transcendant oil painting of St. Josephine Bakhita by Akaninyene Ubuo. St. Josephine Bakhita was born in the Darfur Region of Sudan around 1869. In 1877 she was kidnapped by Arab slave traders and endured horrific suffering. She had to walk barefoot over 600 miles after her kidnapping, and was bought and sold at least 12 times. Once the wife of her owner (a Turkish General) intentionally scarred her in patterns with a razor and salt. She carried these 114 scars to her grave. The scars visible on her right arm in the painting are a representation of this. After spending some time with the Canossian sisters of Venice, she refused to leave with her current mistress, and demanded to stay with the Sisters. This led to court case which declared her free, as slavery was illegal in Sudan before her capture. She discerned a call from God to join the Canossian sisters, and took her final vows with the Canossian Daughters of Charity religious order on December 8, 1896. She was eventually assigned to a convent in Schio, Vicenza. For the next 42 years she worked as a cook and a doorkeeper. She was known for her smile and gentle nature. I commissioned an artist to paint this exclusively for this Zazzle store, as I admire St. Josephine for her joy despite her suffering. I learned about her life by watching a movie called "Bakhita:from Slave to Saint" which inspired me to learn more about her. Her raised hands reveal the scars on her right arm, and at the same time indicate prayer, gratitude, and freedom. St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us that we might find freedom in Jesus Christ. She is the patron Saint of Sudan, as well as human trafficking victims.