Banksy's mural, a tribute to abused women and the right to defend themselves.

The graffiti artist's latest mural portrays an abused housewife, but even before it's removal by the council the depiction of pushing her husband into a freezer has left some feeling uncomfortable.

‘Valentine’s day mascara’

The latest artwork by world-renowned graffiti artist, Banksy, was confirmed yesterday as an mural of a 1950s housewife, smiling with a swollen eye, missing tooth and pushing her husband into a freezer.

Photographs of the artwork in Margate, Kent, were posted to Banksy’s website and captioned, ‘Valentine’s day mascara’, only for Thanet district council to remove the broken freezer that formed part of work a few hours later. The mural was seen to be highlighting violence against women on Valentine’s Day and at a time of increased media coverage amidst the murders of Emma and Letti Pattison and Met Police abuse against women. However, it’s depiction of her husband being pushed into freezer has left some feeling uncomfortable.

Is Banksy’s artwork just more of his dark humor on display, or is it a reflection of the reality that abused women live under?

For women like Martyna Ogonowska, the reality of escaping sexual violence that she endured earlier in life from men…