A debut artist's photograph 'Laundry Day' may evoke strong emotions in people who have either been sexually abused or know victims of abuse.

Alba Fernandez, of Malaga, Spain, is showing her piece in the Tech Art Exhibition, which opens this evening at the Bermuda Society of Arts (BSoA).

On viewing the photograph, which offers an opportunity to discuss one of the world's most disturbing subjects, one gets the distinct impression that perhaps either she was abused, or is in empathy with someone who suffered at the hands of the abuser.

But the photographer said that is not the case. "I've been fortunate enough not to have suffered or lived through this experience myself, but I do know people from my environment who have suffered," she said.

"I know people, I know someone who is very, very close to me, and how can I say it, I have seen the impact that this kind of experience makes, they can't have a life with someone, the feeling is so intense."

She continued: "So I don't think this will change anything, but at least it will make people think. Sometimes you just want to close your eyes and think that these things don't happen."

After her friend told her that she was abused, Miss Fernandez said she cried for three days. And then after that she learned from other friends that they too had suffered at the hands of an abuser.

"My God, I want to kill somebody!" she said, almost in tears.

"I wanted to do something about it, but at the time I could do nothing about it.

"It happens so much and people are too afraid of what people would think about them. It is not their fault, but they think it is because they didn't say anything and it kept happening.

"They are so vulnerable. It is everywhere. I personally cannot understand, how people can do this."

Recently she was having a conversation with a friend of hers and they kept talking about it and I thought that this would be an issue to deal with.

"It just stayed in my mind, and I didn't have any idea and then all of a sudden, it came to me that it would be something interesting," she said.

"A friend of mine told me about the competition and I always loved photography, and I thought it would be a nice opportunity to start with it."

Of her piece, she said: "The picture is called 'Laundry Day' so basically you can see the guy and she is one of his dolls and you can imagine the sort of games," Miss Fernandez said.

"He can play with them, but I wouldn't like to compare her to just another doll. How the people who do these kind of things to children think and I don't really have no idea what is going on in their mind, but I don't think that it is much more than just a doll, something you can play with, something you don't care about, and they don't have feelings.

"So the fact that she is with the other dolls. It's what's going through his mind, 'I'm just playing with her and she will do whatever I want her to do and today is laundry day, and I just put them all outside'."

Before coming to work in Bermuda to work as a florist, Ms Fernandez lived in London for five years.

"I work at a flower shop, I'm in love with Bermuda, and I just can't wait for summer to come back," she said.

As for her love of photography, she said: "My mom has always been very arty as well, so I always had something going on, but I can't paint, I cannot paint.

"I'm not saying that I'm very creative, but I always liked to create things or to do things in a different way. I always take pictures and I always have a camera with me, even if it is a disposable crappy one."

When the exhibition came up, she decided to give it a go.

"I didn't even think that it would be hanged in this exhibition, so when they called me to ask me for a wire to hang it, I was like, 'oh'.

"They made my day and things are just happening, so I am thrilled."