The Intimate stuff

You can’t keep it a secret: every woman has one: a vulva (or mostly called vagina nowadays). Still, there is some kind of taboo on it. Boobs, nipples, vulva’s. People talk about it as little as possible. Time for a change.

What is it? During the Dutch Design Week at Eindhoven I visited this exhibition ‘Vulvarious’ by photographer Petra Beenhackker (Dutch photo artist) and artist Johan Vlemmix (Dutch public person). I spoke to the artist Johan Vlemmix and he told me about the story behind the exhibition. On the photographs, vulva’s are pictured. All kinds of vulva’s, from all kinds of women. After Petra Beenhackker photographed all kinds of vulva’s, Johan Vlemmix made artworks out of them. Every artwork had it’s own story, which was written on a note next to the artwork. I was really impressed by especially one of them: a vulva covered in mud and flies on top of it. The note next to the artwork said: My vulva describes death. That’s because I had an abortion and I really regret that.

Why is it cool? I think it’s really great someone breaks the taboo of not daring to show intimate body parts. Also recently there has been a ‘free the nipple’ action, which I think can be related to the Vulvarious exhibition. Both of them are telling people to not be afraid of their intimate body parts: everyone has them and you have to be proud to have them because they make your body YOUR body.

I think this coolhunt could be related (not directly) to the trend ‘Wonderlust’. The trend Wonderlust tells people to appreciate what you have and see the extraordinary. By this exhibition, Vulvarious, it could be possible people will learn to love their intimate body parts and be proud of them.

So, go out there and take your intimate parts with you because they make you YOU and there’s no reason to be ashamed of them.